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ALL RIGHT, WE ARE READY TO GET STARTED.
TODAY IS TUESDAY, MARCH 26TH, 2024 IS A CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
[1. Call to Order NOTICE OF OPTION TO RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice is hereby given to the members of the City Council and to the general public that, at this work session, the City Council may vote to go into executive session, which will not be open to the public, for discussion and consultation with the City’s attorneys for legal advice on any item listed on the following agenda, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3).]
VERBAL PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO ITEMS APPEARING ON THE POSTED AGENDA MAY BE PROVIDED DURING THE OPEN CALL TO THE PUBLIC AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE MEETING, AND MAY ONLY BE PROVIDED IN PERSON.CAN WE HAVE ROLL CALL? MAYOR DAGGETT. HERE.
PRESIDENT. COUNCIL MEMBER HARRIS.
HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MATTHEWS.
HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY WOULD YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I WOULD, MAYOR.
COUNCIL MEMBER MATTHEWS, OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
THESE LANDS, STILL INHABITED BY NATIVE DESCENDANTS, BORDER MOUNTAIN SACRED TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.
WE HONOR THEM, THEIR LEGACIES, THEIR TRADITIONS, AND THEIR CONTINUED CONTRIBUTIONS.
WE CELEBRATE THEIR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS WHO WILL FOREVER KNOW THIS PLACE AS HOME.
THANK YOU. NOW WE'RE DOWN TO OPEN CALL TO THE PUBLIC.
[4. Open Call to the Public Open Call to the Public enables the public to address the Council about an item that is not on the prepared agenda. Comments relating to items that are on the agenda will be taken at the time that the item is discussed. Open Call to the Public appears on the agenda twice, at the beginning and at the end. The total time allotted for the first Open Call to the Public is 30 minutes; any additional comments will be held until the second Open Call to the Public. If you wish to address the Council in person at today's meeting, please complete a comment card and submit it to the recording clerk as soon as possible. Your name will be called when it is your turn to speak. You may address the Council up to three times throughout the meeting, including comments made during Open Call to the Public and Public Comment. Please limit your remarks to three minutes per item to allow everyone an opportunity to speak. At the discretion of the Chair, ten or more persons present at the meeting and wishing to speak may appoint a representative who may have no more than fifteen minutes to speak.]
AND AS I SAID EARLIER, IT'S ON THE AGENDA TWICE.YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK, AND THE COMMENT CARDS ARE IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
AND WE ARE UNABLE TO HAVE ANY BACK AND FORTH WHEN YOU ARE PRESENTING TO US ON OPEN CALL TO THE PUBLIC.
SO FIRST UP WE HAVE DENNIS GIBBONS.
THANKS A LOT. MAYOR DAGGETT, CITY COUNCIL, CITY STAFF, CITIZENS.
NICE TO SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TODAY.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT TRASH CANS.
A CITIZEN WANTED ME TO TALK ABOUT TRASH CANS.
HE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BUY A BIG TRASH CAN LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
AND I THINK THIS WOULD BE A NICE INCENTIVE TO HAVE PEOPLE COMPOST.
AND IF WE COMPOST MORE, WE WON'T HAVE TO BUY BIGGER TRASH CANS.
AND IT'LL LIKE FORCE PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, SAVE MONEY.
ALSO, I WORK AT MORNING GLORY CAFÉ, THE LOWEST CARBON FOOTPRINT RESTAURANT IN TOWN.
SO IF YOU LIKE THAT KIND OF STUFF, COME ON IN.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT DEBORAH HARRIS SAID THE OTHER DAY ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD FOCUS ON CITY, THINGS LIKE FLOODING IN THE EAST SIDE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SMALL BUSINESSES AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND WE SHOULD IF WE WANT TO FOCUS ON LIKE FEDERAL ISSUES, WE SHOULD COME TOGETHER AND MAYBE LIKE GO TO THE MURDOCH CENTER AND RIDE OUR CONGRESS PEOPLE, OR MAYBE EVEN FORM A COALITION TO RUN FOR CONGRESS IF WE WANT CEASE FIRES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND WE SHOULD JUST STAY IN OUR LANE AND FOCUS ON THE CITY STUFF.
AND I ALSO AGREE WITH JIM MCCARTHY ABOUT A TWO STATE SOLUTION, BECAUSE TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT, AND MAYBE ONE DAY WE'LL HAVE ONE STATE SOLUTION WHERE WE ALL CAN LIVE TOGETHER.
BECAUSE HEAVENS ON EARTH WHERE LOVE COMES FIRST.
YOU GUYS ARE ALL DOING WELL AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND LET'S GO [INAUDIBLE].
OKAY. REVIEW THE DRAFT AGENDA FOR THE APRIL 2ND CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
[5. Review of Draft Agenda for the April 2, 2024 City Council Meeting Citizens wishing to speak on agenda items not specifically called out by the City Council may submit a speaker card for their items of interest to the recording clerk.]
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COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE AGENDA? OKAY. SO THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER.YEAH. SORRY, MAYOR. NOT A QUESTION OR CONCERN.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT I AM HOPING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND MAYBE SOME OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS THIS FRIDAY, ABOUT A POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL PROCLAMATION THAT MAY WIND UP ON THAT AGENDA FOR NATIONAL POETRY MONTH.
OKAY. MOVING DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER 6.
[6. March Work Anniversaries Recognition of employees celebrating work anniversaries in March]
MARCH WORK ANNIVERSARIES.SHANNON, THIS IS USUALLY YOUR REALM.
I'LL PULL UP OUR PRESENTATION FOR TODAY.
SO HERE WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
THANK YOU. SO FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARIES.
WE'VE GOT THREE SLIDES OF THESE.
SO A GOOD GROUP OF EMPLOYEES CELEBRATING THEIR FIRST YEAR WITH THE CITY.
YOU'LL SEE SOME IN RECREATION, WATER SERVICES, HOUSING.
WE'VE GOT SOME HERE IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND THEN LASTLY, A FEW MORE HERE IN SOLID WASTE AND PARK FLAG.
MOVING INTO OUR FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARIES.
DANIEL CRYSTAL IS CELEBRATING AS A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC FROM OUR FLAGSTAFF FIRE DEPARTMENT.
JAMES FISHER IS ONE OF OUR RECREATION OFFICIALS AS PART OF OUR PROSE DIVISION.
ALLISON HUGHES IS ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES OVER AT THE FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
AND PAUL WOLF, WHO IS PART OF OUR WATER SERVICES DIVISION, AS AN OPERATOR 4.
THAT'S ACTUALLY ALL WE HAVE FOR YOU TODAY.
SO WE'LL BE BACK TO CELEBRATE APRIL HERE IN THE FUTURE.
[APPLAUSE] ITEM NUMBER 7. CITY MANAGER REPORT.
[7. City Manager Report Information Only]
THANK YOU. MAYOR AND COUNCIL.THANK YOU, SHANNON, FOR THE WORK ANNIVERSARIES.
I TAKE NOTE THAT THERE IS SUCH GOOD NEWS TO SEE SO MANY FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARIES.
AND THAT REMAINS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR US AS IT DOES FOR MANY EMPLOYERS THESE DAYS.
WITH RESPECT TO THE MANAGER'S REPORT LIKE THE WORK ANNIVERSARIES, IT'S ALSO VERY BRIEF.
WE HAD FIVE PANELS PLUS COMMUNITY MEET AND GREET IN THIS ROOM.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED AS PANELISTS IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS.
IT WAS A BIG ASK BY THE CITY WITH FIVE CANDIDATES THAT TRANSLATED INTO A FULL DAY'S WORTH OF WORK AND VERY VERY ENGAGING.
AND WE ARE SO GREATLY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED.
I WANT TO NOTE ALSO AND THIS AGAIN, IT FALLS INTO THE GOOD NEWS CATEGORY.
WE HAD 49 APPLICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION.
AND MANY OF THEM WERE WELL QUALIFIED.
INITIALLY WE SCREENED THOSE 49 DOWN TO 11.
AND THEN FROM THAT 11 CHOSE 7 TO BE FINALIST.
AT THIS POINT, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD THE BIGGEST LIFT IN ALL OF THIS, AND THAT IS SHANNON ANDERSON, OUR S ENIOR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
SHE ORCHESTRATED ALL OF THESE EVENTS, WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR HR DIVISION.
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DESCRIBED. BIG CHUNK OF WORK.SO A BIG SHOUT OUT TO SHANNON ANDERSON FOR ALL OF HER WORK.
I KNOW EVERYBODY'S ANXIOUS FOR THE OUTCOME.
STAY TUNED. IT IS FORTHCOMING.
WE'RE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND WE'LL BE MAKING A DECISION HERE QUICKLY.
THANK YOU. I MADE MENTION OF CITY EVENTS AND AWARDS, AND THAT'S NOT A LITERAL THING.
THESE AWARDS THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT ARE NOT NECESSARILY UNDER THE CITY UMBRELLA, BUT THINGS THAT THE CITY HAS INVOLVEMENT WITH, ONE OF THOSE BEING THE VIOLA AWARDS THAT CREATIVE FLAGSTAFF HOSTED.
THAT WAS A 16TH ANNUAL OF THIS YEAR THAT OCCURRED SATURDAY, MARCH 23RD AT THE ORPHEUM THEATER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ON STAGE PRESENCE, WHICH WAS EXCELLENT.
THE VIOLA AWARDS ARE FLAGSTAFF OSCARS, IF YOU WILL, FOR THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
AND IT WAS ALSO VERY TOUCHING TO SEE THAT THE EVENT HONORED KLEE BENALLY.
THAT WAS THE 2024 BABBITT BROTHERS FOUNDATION LEGACY AWARD.
AND SO IT WAS A VERY ACTION PACKED EVENING, A LOT OF GREAT AWARDS.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO ANY DETAILS.
THERE ARE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS IN MY REPORT FOR YOU TO ENJOY.
AND THEN BECAUSE MAYOR DAGGETT, YOU WERE THERE ON STAGE DOING YOUR DUTIES YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO BE AT THE ARIZONA FORD ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD EVENT IN PHOENIX.
THE VICE MAYOR FILLED IN FOR YOU AND ACCEPTED AN AWARD ON YOUR BEHALF.
THAT IS, FOR THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF WORKING TO ADDRESS OUR CLIMATE EMERGENCY.
SO PROPS TO ALL OF US IN THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF AND THOSE WHO WORKED HARD TO EARN THIS AWARD.
I THINK I'LL END IT THERE WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM DAN FOLK WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECAPPING THE 2023 CALENDAR YEAR.
MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO FIRST OF ALL, ANJEL JOHNS IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST.
ANJEL JUST STARTED WITH FOR US IN OCTOBER, AND SHE'S THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER THIS 29 PAGE REPORT.
SO THANK YOU, ANGEL, AND WELCOME TO THE TEAM.
I'VE ALSO GOT MICHELLE MCNULTY HERE.
SHE'S THE HEAD OF OUR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES SECTION.
AMY TRESSLER IS OUR BUILDING OFFICIAL.
SHE IS THE DIRECTOR OF OUR BUILDING SAFETY AND CODE COMPLIANCE SECTION.
AND SARAH DARR IS OUR HOUSING DIRECTOR.
SARAH MIGHT BE ONLINE AS WELL.
AND SO SARAH OVERSEES OUR HOUSING PROGRAMS AS WELL AS OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, BRYCE DOTY IS OUR REAL ESTATE MANAGER.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
SO LET ME JUST WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
I WILL NOT GET INTO A LOT OF DETAIL.
BUT IT STARTS OFF WITH A LITTLE SUMMARY ABOUT A REALLY EXCITING PROJECT.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A WORK SESSION ON NEXT MONTH.
RIGHT. AND SO THE PURPOSE OF THE LAND AVAILABILITY SUITABILITY STUDY IS TO SEE WHAT LAND CURRENTLY, WHAT OUR INVENTORY OF PROPERTY IS, AND WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT AND INFILL OPPORTUNITIES ARE TO MEET SOME OF OUR CLIMATE AND HOUSING GOALS.
THE CODE ANALYSIS PROJECT, SIMILARLY, IS INTENDED TO REVIEW OUR CODE AND FIND OUT ARE THERE BARRIERS AGAIN TO MEETING OUR SUSTAINABILITY AND HOUSING GOALS? SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT WORK SESSION NEXT MONTH.
THE NEXT COUPLE PAGES ARE A SUMMARY OF THE PEOPLE.
RIGHT. SO WE HAVE ABOUT 61 FULL TIME POSITIONS 62.
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AND SO WE'VE SUMMARIZED SOME OF THE TRAINING ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SOME OF THE NEW TEAM MEMBERS THAT HAVE JOINED OUR SECTION.SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO SHARE THAT GOOD NEWS WITH ALL THOSE FOLKS.
WE'VE GOT A SUMMARY OF THE PROPERTY CARE STANDARDS PROJECT.
YOU'RE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
THAT WAS ADOPTED ON DECEMBER 19TH.
AND SO WORKING WITH REGGIE EGGLESTON, WE'VE GOT TWO PROPERTIES IN MIND.
AND SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE MAYBE IN A MONTH OR TWO, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THOSE PROPERTIES AND DEMONSTRATE HOW THE PROPERTY CARE STANDARDS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED AND WHAT THE BENEFIT IS. WE'VE GOT A SUMMARY OF OUR CURRENT PLANNING PROGRAM AND ALL THE CASES THAT THEY DO.
SO THEY DO ALL OF OUR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW.
WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS THAT WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT COMING IN AT THE CONCEPT LEVEL, AND WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE A NUMBER OF THOSE PROJECTS RIGHT INTO BUILDING PERMITS RATHER THAN REQUIRING THE SITE PLAN, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD A LOT FROM OUR COMMUNITY IS MORE EFFICIENCIES.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE NUMBER OF MULTIFAMILY UNITS THAT WERE REVIEWED AND APPROVED THIS YEAR.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY WERE CONSTRUCTED YET, BUT 1190 MULTIFAMILY UNITS DURING THE CALENDAR YEAR, 221 OF THOSE ARE DEDICATED AS AFFORDABLE AND SO TARGETED TO A SPECIFIC AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
THAT'S OVER 20% OF THOSE UNITS.
WE'VE GOT AN OVERVIEW OF OUR HERITAGE PRESERVATION PROGRAM.
WE ADMINISTERED OVER 70, $73,000 IN SIGN AND FACADE GRANTS LAST YEAR.
SOME OF US STILL CALL IT THE FORMER PUBLIC WORKS YARD.
THAT HISTORIC BUILDING THERE, THE FLEET BUILDING, IS WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED FOR THAT CULTURAL CENTER.
AND THEN WE HIGHLIGHTED THE EL PUEBLO HOTEL, WHICH IS IN KIND OF MID-STREAM OF RENOVATIONS.
WE'RE IN TOUCH WITH THE OWNER.
THE REASON THIS PROPERTY IS SO IMPORTANT IS THIS IS WHERE THE CODE TALKER PROJECT STARTED.
AND SO IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING.
ONE OF THE FIRST MEETINGS ABOUT THE WORLD WAR TWO CODE TALKERS WAS THAT THE EL PUEBLO.
I'VE BEEN TOLD THE OWNER'S SON SPOKE ENGLISH AND NAVAJO, AND SO HE WORKED AS AN INTERPRETER.
LAST YEAR, A CDBG GRANT WAS AWARDED TO THE MURDOCH CENTER TO DO IMPROVEMENTS FOR THAT PARK.
WE ARE ABOUT TO GET THOSE IMPROVEMENTS STARTED.
WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE PAGES ON THE REGIONAL PLAN 2045.
WE'RE IN PHASE THREE RIGHT NOW WHICH IS ACTUALLY WRITING THE PLAN.
THE ACTUAL COMMITTEE HAS BEEN FORMED.
IT'S THE REGIONAL PLAN COMMITTEE.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT SUMMARY OF ALL THE WORK THAT LED UP TO THIS.
MANY OF THOSE WERE JUST IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
SO YOU'RE ALL REAL FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
THE GENESIS OF A NUMBER OF THESE AMENDMENTS HAVE COME OUT OF THE HOUSING PLAN.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT SUMMARY OF ALL THE WORK DONE IN BUILDING SAFETY AND CODE COMPLIANCE.
AGAIN, A LOT OF NUMBERS, A TOTAL OF 195, WHAT I'LL CALL SINGLE FAMILY UNITS.
SO THAT'S DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY AND ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
195 PERMITS WERE ISSUED DURING LAST CALENDAR YEAR, ALONG WITH THE MULTIFAMILY, WHICH I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND 238 PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR PERMITS.
IT KIND OF BLOWS MY MIND, COMBINED WITH OVER 13,000 INSPECTIONS.
SO WE HAVE SIX BUILDING INSPECTORS AND A MANAGER.
THEY CONDUCTED REALLY OVER 13,600 INSPECTIONS IN A CALENDAR YEAR.
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SO THAT'S BOOTS ON THE GROUND OUT IN THE COMMUNITY DOING THOSE SAFETY INSPECTIONS.WE HIGHLIGHTED WHAT'S BECOME KIND OF A NICE ANNUAL EVENT.
THEY FOLLOW UP WITH THE SCHOOL AND THEY DO AN INSPECTION OF THE GINGERBREAD HOUSES.
AND I'M TOLD THEY ALL PASSED AND RECEIVED CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY.
SO THAT'S GREAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
WE NEED FOLKS LIKE THAT RIGHT NOW IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
I MENTIONED SOME OF THE PERMITTING NUMBERS.
AGAIN, A TOTAL OF 787 PERMITS WERE ISSUED FOR DWELLING UNITS.
SO 195 OF THOSE WERE THE SINGLE FAMILY, 592 WERE MULTIFAMILY.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE LESS THAN 800 A YEAR.
AND THIS YEAR WE CAME OUT AT 787.
WE'RE REALLY RIGHT ON TARGET WITH OUR GOAL FOR THE TEN YEAR HOUSING PLAN.
WE'VE GOT A REALLY DETAILED REPORT ON CODE COMPLIANCE AND ALL THE ACTIVITY OF REGGIE AND HIS TEAM.
SOME OF THE SOME OF THE BIG NUMBERS THAT JUMP OUT.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON 118 CALLS ON GARBAGE ISSUES.
560 ON SNOW, REMOVAL OF SIDEWALKS.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON SIGNS 475 RELATED TO GRAFFITI.
AND THEN A LITTLE OVER 100 ON PARKING.
JANIS REVIEWED OVER 360 LIGHTING PERMITS LAST YEAR, AND I THINK THAT CORRESPONDS TO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE IS FEWER ENFORCEMENT CASES ON LIGHTING.
AND SO HAVING ONE PERSON DOING IT, I THINK IS REALLY BUILDING CONSISTENCY AND EFFICIENCY.
SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF OUR DARK SKY PROGRAM.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WELL, I'VE GOT HOUSING AND THEN REAL ESTATE, BUT HOUSING IS IN HERE.
WE'VE GOT A BIG SECTION ON HOUSING, A WHOLE LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
I'M NOT GOING TO READ THROUGH THEM ALL.
WE OWN AND OPERATE 345 RENTAL UNITS.
SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY AND SCATTERED SITES.
IT TAKES A LOT TO RUN A HOUSING AUTHORITY DOING INCOME QUALIFICATION EVERY YEAR.
VERY INTENSIVE TO KEEP THOSE FOLKS IN THAT HOUSING.
YOU ALL APPROVE THE FIRST BOND FUNDED RENTAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM? JUST I THINK WAS IT JUST LAST WEEK? TIME FLIES.
SO THAT WAS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT THIS YEAR.
WE'VE GOT A WHOLE SECTION ON HOME OWNERSHIP AND THE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO HERE.
AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE INFUSING BOND MONEY THERE IN THE COMING YEARS.
I MENTIONED THE TEN YEAR HOUSING PLAN.
I BELIEVE IT'S UPDATED IN OCTOBER, AND SO IT'LL BE UPDATED LATER THIS YEAR.
AND SO YOU CAN TRACK WHERE WE ARE.
ON TRYING TO MEET THOSE GOALS, INCLUDING THAT 7976 UNITS.
WE HOSTED A FAIR AN EVENT ON FAIR HOUSING, TRYING TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.
WE ADMINISTER 522 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS.
SO THIS IS ALSO PART OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
EACH ONE OF THOSE HOUSING VOUCHERS REPRESENTS A HOUSEHOLD AND IT'S A VERY TIME INTENSIVE.
SO IT'S AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBER REALLY OVER 800, ALMOST 900 UNITS THAT WE ARE INVOLVED IN.
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WE'VE GOT A LIST OF ALL THE CDBG PROGRAMING THAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR.AGAIN, OVER $700,000 IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS THAT WENT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT A NICE SUMMARY PAGE OF SOME OF THE NUMBERS I'VE PUT OUT AGAIN, ON THE HOUSING VOUCHERS, THE RENTAL UNITS INCOME VERIFICATION FOR THE PROPERTIES THAT WE MANAGE.
SO VERY IMPRESSED WITH ALL THE SUCCESS WE'VE HAD THERE.
BRYCE HAS HAD A REALLY BUSY YEAR.
WHAT? ALMOST EVERY MEETING WITH ACQUISITIONS.
SO WE'VE HAD WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST CAPITAL PROGRAM RIGHT NOW.
IT REQUIRES A LOT OF ACQUISITIONS, FEE SIMPLE PERMANENT EASEMENTS, TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION EASEMENTS.
AND SO WE'VE LISTED SOME OF THOSE REALLY IMPACTFUL PROJECTS THAT HE'S BEEN WORKING ON, INCLUDING THE 180 CULVERT IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH ARE GOING TO GET UNDER CONSTRUCTION HERE VERY SOON.
THE LONE TREE OVERPASS IS A HUGE PROJECT.
OBVIOUSLY, THE RIO DE FLAG FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT.
WE'RE FINALLY AT THE POINT OF GETTING ACQUISITIONS AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY CLOSED ON ONE.
WE MAY HAVE CLOSED ON MORE THAN THAT AT THIS POINT.
AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE REAL ESTATE IS REALLY MANAGING CITY PROPERTY.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T INCLUDE ANYTHING IN THE YEAR END REPORT.
BRYCE AND CARMEN AREN'T JUST ACQUIRING PROPERTY, THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ON MANAGING CITY FACILITIES.
AND THE TENANTS THAT ARE LEASING SOME OF THESE FACILITIES AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND I HOPE EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE TO DIVE INTO THE REPORT.
I TOLD DENISE MY WIFE LAST NIGHT THAT IT WAS 29 PAGES AND SHE SAID, THAT'S TOO LONG.
NO ONE WILL READ IT, BUT MAYBE READ IT A LITTLE SECTION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? COUNCIL. ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FOR CITY MANAGER OR.
COUNCIL MEMBER MATTHEWS AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
YOU GUYS DO DO A LOT OF WORK, AND IF WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
ANGEL. HOW CAN I FORGET? ANGEL. THANK YOU, ANGEL, FOR I WILL READ YOUR REPORT.
IT'S IT'S IMPORTANT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS, COUNCIL MEMBER ALL RIGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HOUSE ASKS IF NEXT TIME YOU COULD GO FOR AN EVEN 30 PAGES.
I THINK WE CAN SHOOT FOR THAT NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S A GOOD GOAL. THANK YOU.
DAN. ALL RIGHT, MOVING DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
[8. Discussion of Citizen Petition to Change the Goals in Carbon Neutrality Plan Discussion and direction regarding the petition.]
THAT WAS ALL RIGHT, GREG.ARE THEY ONLINE OR? OH, HELLO.
ARE WE READY FOR ITEM EIGHT, MAYOR? IS IT? YES. OKAY.
I'M NOT SURE IF DAN THOUGHT ALL THESE FOLKS WERE HERE FOR HIM OR NOT, BUT.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS CARVED OUT TIME THIS AFTERNOON.
TO COME DOWN FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM.
I AM NICOLE ANTONOPOULOS AND I'M THE SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR.
PRIORITIES. OUR DISCUSSION THIS AFTERNOON WILL FOCUS ON FIVE KEY AREAS.
WE WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE CITIZEN PETITION.
A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION.
A SNAPSHOT OF HOW THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN SUPPORTS ACTION ON FIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT.
ONGOING WORK IN THESE THREE SPECIFIC AREAS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, A TIME FOR DISCUSSION.
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TO BEGIN.THE CITIZEN PETITION WAS SUBMITTED TO THE CITY CLERK ON SEPTEMBER 20TH OF 2023, AND SCHEDULED AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUEST ON OCTOBER 17TH OF 2023.
THE SLIDE. THIS SLIDE CAPTURES THE LANGUAGE FROM THE PETITION, WHICH REQUESTS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADD WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT TO THE CURRENT PRIORITIES OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, A REQUEST THE INCLUSION FOR ADDRESSING PREVENTION, DETECTION AND SUPPRESSION OF WILDFIRES, MITIGATION OF FLOODING, PREPARATION FOR DROUGHT AND THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
SPECIFIC GOALS AND STRATEGIES.
SO I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR THE DEFINITIONS OF MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION.
IN THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
MITIGATION IS THE ACTION TO REDUCE EMISSIONS THAT ARE ACCELERATING CLIMATE CHANGE.
ADAPTATION IS THE ACTION TO MANAGE THE RISKS AND IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
OF ACTIONS IN MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS PROBABLY THE MOST COMMONLY REFERENCED MITIGATION TOOL.
WHILE FLOOD PREVENTION OR PROTECTION IS AN EXAMPLE OF ADAPTATION.
AND DEPENDING ON HOW THOSE ARE IMPLEMENTED, THEY COULD FALL INTO EITHER CATEGORY.
NOW MOVING ON TO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN ITSELF.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2018, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED FLAGSTAFF'S FIRST CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN, AND IN JUNE 2020, THE FLAGSTAFF CITY COUNCIL DECLARED A CLIMATE EMERGENCY.
THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION FOCUSED ON EIGHT KEY ACTIONS, BRINGING YOUR ATTENTION SPECIFICALLY TO ACTION NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH COMMITS THE CITY TO ACHIEVING COMMUNITY WIDE CARBON NEUTRALITY BY THE YEAR 2030.
TO MOBILIZE RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION.
THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN WAS REVISED TO REFLECT THE NEW GOAL OF CARBON NEUTRALITY.
THE RESULT OF WHICH IS THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, WHICH WAS FORMALLY ADOPTED IN JUNE OF 2021.
GUIDED BY SCIENCE, EXTENSIVE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION SCENARIO ANALYSIS, AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
THREE CORE GOALS WERE ESTABLISHED FOR THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
THEN USING CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL TO BALANCE ANY REMAINING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
THE THIRD IS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE IN A MANNER THAT PRIORITIZES THOSE MOST IMPACTED AND ENSURES THAT THE COST, AS WELL AS THE BENEFITS OF CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION, ARE EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
THE NEXT TWO SLIDES ARE ADDITIONS TO MY SLIDE DECK THIS AFTERNOON, SO THEY WERE NOT IN YOUR PACKET.
AND I'VE INCLUDED THESE BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN NUMEROUS QUESTIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO INCORPORATE A TIMELINE NOT ONLY FOR THE COUNCIL, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IN THE FALL OF 2021, THE CITY COUNCIL, AS I MENTIONED, ADOPTED THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
IN THE FALL OF 2022, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
THIS REVISION HAD BEEN PLANNED ALL ALONG, AND IT IS EVEN RECOGNIZED IN CR DASH TWO ACTION NUMBER FOUR IN THE ORIGINAL 2021 CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
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AND ADAPTATION PLAN, AND SO THERE WAS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AROUND THAT PLAN DEVELOPMENT.THERE HAD BEEN SOME QUESTIONS.
SO AGAIN, I'M TAKING THE LIBERTY TO INCLUDE SOME OF THAT IN TERMS OF THAT REVISION.
WE APPROXIMATE ABOUT $25,000 IN STAFF TIME.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME PLANNED REVISIONS IN JANUARY, STARTING IN JANUARY OF 2025, THAT WE WILL ANTICIPATE LAST ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OR ENDING IN THE FALL OF 2025.
AND THAT WILL BE TO FOCUS ON A MISSION, CALCULATIONS, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, NEW COMMITMENTS.
THAT IS GOING TO INFLUENCE OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN DATA.
THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE ADDITION OF FIVE TARGET AREAS FROM THE 2018 CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN INTO TODAY'S VERSION OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
THEY INCLUDE INCLUSIVE RECREATION, WATER SECURITY, HEALTHY FORESTS AND OPEN SPACES, HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED HOUSING FOR ALL SINCE THE HOUSING EMERGENCY HAD BEEN DECLARED, AND THE PLAN HAD BEEN ADOPTED FORMALLY BY THE CITY COUNCIL . WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK.
FIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT ARE SUPPORTED IN TWO OF THE FOUR FOCUS AREAS OF THE CURRENT CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, RESPECTIVELY IN WATER SECURITY AND HEALTHY FOREST AND OPEN SPACES.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN SUPPORTS THIS WORK ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION.
HOWEVER, THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, AS IT IS TODAY, DOES NOT DRIVE THE WORK.
BEFORE I HIGHLIGHT THAT WORK, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO REVISIT THE PLANNING PERIOD PYRAMID AS THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES MAKE REFERENCE TO CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED PLANS. THIS IMAGE IS COPIED FROM THE CURRENT REGIONAL PLAN RESOURCES, AND BY NO MEANS I AM NOT AN EXPERT IN PLANNING, SO WE'LL PROVIDE JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
UNDERNEATH THE REGIONAL PLAN ARE SPECIFIC PLANS.
THE NEXT TIER IS THE IMPLEMENTATION TIER.
THE ZONING CODE, WHICH YOU JUST HEARD FROM DAN AND MAY RECALL, WE ARE CURRENTLY ANALYZING THROUGH BOTH THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY LENS AS WELL AS THE HOUSING EMERGENCY LENS. IT ALSO INCLUDES OUR ENGINEERING STANDARDS AND EVEN THE CITY'S ANNUAL BUDGET.
NOW SHIFTING OUR FOCUS TO FIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT.
I'M ONLY GOING TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW.
THE COCONINO COUNTY ALL HAZARD EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN, THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLAN, THE RIO DE FLAG FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE WATER SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN 2025.
THIS LIST IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE SUSTAINABILITY SECTION'S CLIMATE ACTION WEB PAGE, WITH DIRECT LINKS TO THESE PLANS SO THE COMMUNITY CAN REFERENCE THEM READILY. I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IS THE ONLY CITY PLAN FOCUSING DIRECTLY ON MITIGATION TO ACHIEVE CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2030.
WE MUST PRIORITIZE MITIGATION, AND THAT IS WHAT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN STRIVES TO DO.
THIS GRAPH HIGHLIGHTS OUR ROADMAP TO ACHIEVING CARBON NEUTRALITY.
THIS IS GOAL NUMBER ONE OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
GOAL NUMBER THREE WILL BE REFERENCED A BIT MORE ON SLIDE 22.
[00:40:02]
NOW, AS MUCH AS THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN SUPPORTS ACTION AND FIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT, THERE ARE OTHER ADOPTED PLANS THAT SUPPORT MITIGATION, SUCH AS THE WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN.MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT MENTION THE REAL VALUE OF ANY CITY ADOPTED, PLAN OR PROJECT WHEREVER IT LIVES, AND THAT IS THE WORK AND THE WORK GETTING IMPLEMENTED, AND THAT WITHIN THE CITY OR ORGANIZATION DIVISIONS COLLABORATE.
TO ADDRESS OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS.
ON THIS SLIDE, I PROVIDE A SNAPSHOT OF EFFORTS LED BY THE SUSTAINABILITY SECTION EXCUSE ME DIVISION THAT SUPPORTS OUR INTERNAL PARTNERS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE PLANS, INCLUDING FLOOD PREVENTION GRANTS AND CLEAN AIR FILTER DISTRIBUTION FOR SMOKE EVENTS.
I ALSO OFFER EXAMPLES OF COLLABORATION IN THE GRANT SPACE.
THESE COLLABORATIONS WERE NOT DICTATED BY THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
THEY WERE CREATED BY INNOVATIVE STAFF, IDENTIFYING A NEED AND FINDING SOLUTIONS.
THE FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES LEARNING NETWORK, AND THE GORDON AND BETTY MOORE FOUNDATION GRANTS ARE A REFLECTION OF THE WELL, EXCUSE ME, WELL RESPECTED WORK IN BOTH WILDLAND FIRE AND SUSTAINABILITY.
THESE PARTNERSHIPS SIGNIFICANTLY EMPOWER THE EVOLUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PLANS THE CITY ADOPTS FOR FOREST HEALTH.
THE FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES LEARNING NETWORK AND THE GORDON AND BETTY MOORE FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES FUNDING THAT WILL ALSO INCREASE FIRE AND CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT CAPACITY ADDITION FOR THE CITY THAT WILL IMPROVE OUR PROACTIVE COMMUNICATION REGARDING HOW COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CAN INCREASE, WHILE WE IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO LIVE WITH BENEFICIAL FIRE.
WE NEED OUR WILDLAND EXPERTS, WILDLAND FIRE EXPERTS, FOCUSING ON WHAT THEY DO BEST.
WITH THESE TWO PARTNERSHIPS, WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT THE HEAVY LIFT OF COMMUNICATION.
WE ARE HERE, AND WE ARE TAKING THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND IMPACTFUL ACTIONS TO PROTECT THEM.
THIS GRANT, LED BY SUSTAINABILITY, WOULD BRING NEARLY $26.5 MILLION TO WATER SERVICES, $17 MILLION TO DEALING WITH LIABILITY BIOMASS THAT'S CURRENTLY SITTING IN OUR FORESTS, $16 MILLION TO THE LANDFILL, $5 MILLION TO WOOD BANKS AND EPA CERTIFIED WOOD BURNING STOVE REPLACEMENTS, AS WELL AS $5 MILLION FOR INNOVATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING EXCITING TRAINING PROGRAMS WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
BY THE WAY, THIS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE GRANT IS BEING SUBMITTED AT THE END OF THE WEEK.
SO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM PLEASE CROSS YOUR FINGERS AND TOES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M GOING TO PIVOT NOW TO FOCUS ON HIGH PRIORITIES AND BARRIERS AND FIRE, AND THEN INVITE OUR FRIENDS FROM WATER SERVICES TO TALK ABOUT FLOODING AND DROUGHT. AND JUST A QUICK NOTE, NEIL CHAPMAN AND MARK ADAMS ARE OUT OF STATE FOR A CONFERENCE AND PAULO TROGI IS CURRENTLY IN A TRAINING.
SO I AM HONORED TO PRESENT THEIR SIDE.
I HOPE I WILL DO THEM JUSTICE.
AS NOTED, THE MORE FOUNDATION FUNDING WILL PROVIDE FUNDING TO DO JUST THAT.
RIGHT NOW, 45,000 ACRES AND PRIORITY FOREST AND HEALTH TREATMENTS ARE WILDLAND FIRES.
FOCUS. THEY DO HAVE BARRIERS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING AS WELL AS MARKET SOLUTIONS, WHICH WE HOPE.
AS A SIDE NOTE, OUR EPA GRANT WILL HELP WITH.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, INCONSISTENCY, INCONSISTENCIES IN RISK PRICING AND RISING INSURANCE COSTS.
WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO HAND THE NEXT SLIDE.
TWO SLIDES OVER TO SHANNON JONES FROM WATER SERVICES.
MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL SHANNON JONES WATER SERVICES.
I'M SENDING IT TO DAVE RILEY FOR ED SCHENCK AND AARON YOUNG, WHO ARE ALSO BUSY WORKING.
[00:45:06]
BUT GIVE ME A CHANCE JUST TO TOUCH HIGH LEVEL.SETTING THE CRITERIA AND OBJECTIVES.
AND SO GOING BACK TO 2014, WHEN THE CITY ADOPTED THE UTILITIES INTEGRATED MASTER PLAN, SET THAT HIGH LEVEL OVERARCHING GOALS AND PRIORITIES ON HOW WE WOULD DO BUSINESS AND THEREFORE ALSO PUT US ON A PATH TO WORKING TOWARDS ONE IS DEVELOPING THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WATER SERVICES.
WHICH WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2020 AND UPDATED IN 2023, AND FROM THERE, MOVING INTO THE SECTION SPECIFICALLY STORM WATER, WHO IN 2023 ROLLED OUT THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR STORMWATER.
WHAT YOU'RE IDENTIFYING THOSE ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES, THE DATA IMPLEMENTATIONS OF HOW WE DO BUSINESS, WHAT OUR CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS FROM INSPECTIONS TO PLAN REVIEWS MAKING SURE WE'RE ABLE TO TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS, HIGHLIGHTING ON A SPECIFIC POLICIES SUCH AS WITHIN THE STORM WATER, WITHIN THE INTEGRATED MASTER PLAN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE USING MASTER PLANNING INITIATIVES, THAT WE HAVE AN OVERARCHING PLAN.
AND FROM THAT LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC DIRECTIVES AND THINGS LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION ACCORDINGLY TO THE RESULTS OF THAT MASTER PLAN AND CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR OUR PARTNERS, SPECIFICALLY ENTITIES LIKE THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO SECURE FUNDING INTO THE FUTURE.
OTHER POLICIES ALONG THE LINES OF MAKING SURE WE HAVE AN UPDATED STORMWATER MANAGEMENT DESIGN MANUAL THAT SETS THE CRITERIAS FOR DESIGN AND INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS. ALSO THAT WE'RE PROMOTING THE DIRECT USE OF STORMWATER AS A WATER CONSERVATION TOOL, FINDING WAYS TO DESIGN AND PROMOTE THINGS LIKE INFILTRATION AND MINIMIZE USE OF CONCRETE AND CLOSE CONDUIT WHERE IT'S PRACTICAL.
ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY MAINTAINS A CAPITAL DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PLAN, MAKING SURE WE HAVE THOSE PROJECTS LISTED AS WE SEEK THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND WORK TO EXECUTE THOSE THOSE PROJECTS AND DELIVER THEM.
DOING THIS AGAIN, AN OVERARCHING OBJECTIVE THAT WE'RE USING DATA AND STANDARDS TO DRIVE OUR DECISIONS, FOCUSING ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS AND ACCELERATING THE DELIVERY OF THOSE MAINTENANCE NEEDS AND REPLACEMENT.
MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE ONGOING AND CONSISTENT FUNDING FOR STORMWATER MAINTENANCE, WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE AND THE RIGHT DIRECTION THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UPDATED STORMWATER RATE STRUCTURE.
WE STAY VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SEEKING THOSE EXTERNAL FUNDINGS TO KNOW THAT THAT WE HAVE A PATH FOR SUCCESS.
I'M MOVING MORE INTO DROUGHT AND DROUGHT MITIGATION ON WITHIN OUR OUR UTILITY MASTER PLAN.
I'M TALKING ABOUT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT POLICIES.
RIGHT. AGAIN, THE INTENT IS TO PROTECT THE CITY'S WATER SUPPLY AND THE QUALITY OF THAT WATER.
ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THAT OVERARCHING OBJECTIVE IS TO.
AS FOR DROUGHT PLANNING, MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY HAS AND MAINTAINS THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
ONCE A CONDITION HAS BEEN DECLARED.
DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANS CONSIST FROM WITHIN THE UTILITIES INTEGRATED MASTER PLAN, BUT PROVIDES THE AUTHORITY FOR ENFORCEMENT THROUGH THAT IMPLEMENTATION AND THE DAY TO DAY EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH THAT THE STAFF DOES.
AGAIN, WITH THE OVERARCHING EMPHASIS THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE USING STANDARDS AND DATA TO MAKE AND DATA TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, AND ULTIMATELY ENSURING THAT THERE'S AN ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY AND PLAN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE.
AGAIN, THESE ARE DONE THROUGH PRIORITIES AND OUR DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
MAKE SURE WE'RE ADDRESSING OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
CONTINUING TO ASSESS WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND OUR RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEMS TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE FUNCTIONING, ROBUST AND DEPENDABLE AND THE WHOLE TIME ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE MONITORING AND DOING OUR PART FOR WATERSHED RESILIENCE TO IDENTIFY A FEW BARRIERS, AGAIN, HAS TO DO WITH INFLATION AND COST OF CONSTRUCTION AND THOSE RISING, MAKING SURE, AGAIN, WE MAINTAIN THE ADEQUATE MANAGEMENT AND STAFFING LEVELS THAT WE NEED AND PUTTING EMPHASIS ON OUR GROUNDWATER PROTECTION, WHICH WE WHICH WE RELY
[00:50:06]
UPON AND APPRECIATE.SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND WITH SUSTAINABILITY, TO HIGHLIGHT JUST A FEW THINGS THAT WE HAVE AND KIND OF LAY OUT THAT STRUCTURE OF OF WHERE WE MOVE INTO THOSE INTEGRATIONS AND HOW WE GET THINGS DONE.
THANK YOU. THANK GOODNESS I DIDN'T HAVE TO GIVE THOSE SLIDES AS WELL.
AND I WANT TO MAKE AN ADDITION TO THE 14 PLANS AND PROJECTS.
I NEGLECTED TO ADD THE CITY'S OWN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN.
SO LET'S INCREASE THAT TALLY TO 15 PLANS, AND I APOLOGIZE.
I'VE TAKEN THE LIBERTY OF IDENTIFYING WHAT WE PERCEIVE AS THE OPTIONS TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
TO PROVIDE THE REVISED THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, WHICH BEGINS IN JUNE OF 2025, TO INCLUDE SPECIFIC GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING, ADDRESSING, PREVENTION, DETECTION, SUPPRESSION OF WILDFIRES, MITIGATION OF FLOODING, AND PREPARATION FOR DROUGHT.
A REVISION SHOULD NOT BE BASED ON ONE GROUP'S INTEREST ONLY.
THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN ENGAGED WITH MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE TO CREATE IT.
DUE TO CURRENT WORKLOADS, WE WOULD NEED TO BRING ON CONSULTANTS TO ASSIST US.
WE IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL BUDGET OF $80,000 AND A TIMELINE OF TEN, EXCUSE ME, 12 MONTHS.
THE TIMELINE IS JANUARY THROUGH NOVEMBER OF 2025.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A FORMAL REVISION POLICY OR SCHEDULE.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO FOCUS ON THE WORK THAT THE CITY IS ALREADY DOING TO ADDRESS FIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT DURING THE NEXT SCHEDULED CMP REVISIONS TO. WE OFFER AN EXPANSION OF THE CMP TO ELEVATE ADAPTATION PRIORITIES AND REFERENCE ALL EXISTING PLANS AND WORK THAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY DOING. AS NOTED EARLIER IN MY PRESENTATION, WE DO NOW HAVE A CONSOLIDATED WEB PAGE WITH HYPERLINKS TO EVERY PLAN, INCLUDING THE CITY'S EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN SDK, AND TO UTILIZE GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS TO INCREASE THE LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY DOING, BUT TO INSPIRE ACTION MOBILIZATION AROUND FIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT PREPAREDNESS.
WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MATTHEWS.
THANK YOU. MAYOR. I HAVE A COUPLE.
FIRST, THIS WILL GO TO SHANNON, BUT DON'T SIT DOWN.
YOU TALKED ABOUT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, BOTH IN STORMWATER AND IN WATER SERVICES, WHICH WE HAVE A LONG LIST OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.
WHAT ARE THE. WHAT'S THE TOTAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR BOTH STORMWATER AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE? MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBER MATTHEWS SPECIFICALLY TO THE FIVE YEAR, THE COMPLETE FIVE YEAR PLAN.
PROBABLY WELL, APPROACHING $400 MILLION, $400 MILLION.
AND RIGHT NOW A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT IS BEING CONSIDERED TO BE PAID THROUGH THE RATEPAYERS.
CORRECT? I THINK IT'S A MULTI APPROACH STRATEGY.
I THINK CURRENTLY WE'RE DOING VERY WELL.
SO A LOT OF OUR CURRENT PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY ARE PUSHING THROUGH GRANT FUNDING.
EVEN WITH SOME OF THE GRANT FUNDING, THERE IS THERE'S TYPICALLY A PRICE MATCH THAT WE CONSIDER.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH OUR RATE STRUCTURE SPECIFICALLY FOR, FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER WE'RE TRYING TO FIND STRATEGIES TO FULLY FUND THOSE SIPS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS FOR CONTINUED GRANT FUNDING UTILIZING DEBT CAPACITY.
THE THE IMPACT TO INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS BUSINESSES IS FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT.
[00:55:05]
I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL NECESSARY, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE DEPENDING ON THAT IN CASE WE DON'T GET GRANTS TO FUND THOSE.I WOULD PHRASE IT AS THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THAT WE REALIZE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS TO NICOLE.
NICOLE, MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GRANTS THAT WE'VE GOT SPEAKS SO GREAT ABOUT I THINK SHE HOLDS SHE PROBABLY HOLDS THE RECORDS FOR THE NUMBER OF GRANTS THAT WE GET APPROVED AND, AND COME THROUGH.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IN OUR US GOVERNMENT, IS HYPER FOCUSED ON REACHING CARBON NEUTRALITY GOALS AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.
CORRECT. AND SO IN MY EXPERIENCE IN GRANT WRITING USUALLY A GRANT COMES THROUGH AND IT'S KIND OF SPECIFIC, RIGHT? IT'S EITHER FOR CONVERSION TO EV VEHICLES OR SOLAR OR.
SOMETHING ELSE, AND IT DOESN'T DILUTE.
WHEN YOU'RE WRITING A GRANT, YOU GO AFTER WHAT'S ENCOMPASSED IN YOUR PLAN TO SAY, OKAY, THIS GRANT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THIS PRIORITY, CORRECT? I COUNCIL MEMBER MATTHEWS.
MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER MATTHEWS I MY PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE AND I'D BE HAPPY TO IF ANYONE FROM GRANTS AND CONTRACTS IS HERE TO INVITE THEM DOWN AS WELL IS WE HAVE SEEN, FOR EXAMPLE, THROUGH THE EPA CLIMATE JUSTICE GRANT, WHICH WE WERE AWARDED $1 MILLION TO CREATE RESILIENCE HUBS.
THAT GAVE US A LOT OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION.
THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND RESILIENCE.
SO THERE WAS NOT PRESCRIPTIVE MEASURES THAT WERE DICTATED BY THE GRANT AWARD ITSELF.
WE'RE SEEING, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE EPA CLIMATE POLLUTION COUNT, I CAN'T TALK ANYMORE.
CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT, FOR EXAMPLE.
THE MAIN FOCUS OF THAT GRANT IS REDUCING EMISSIONS.
HOW THAT'S DONE IS THE APPLICANT'S PERSPECTIVE OR INNOVATION, IF YOU WILL.
IT NEEDS TO ALIGN WITH THE INDIVIDUAL STATE'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE BEEN SEEING LESS PRESCRIPTIVE AND MORE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES.
I WAS CURIOUS ON HOW THE THE HOUSING FOR ALL ASPECT.
YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TWO CRISISES AND SO WE INCORPORATED THEM.
BUT HOW DOES HOUSING FOR ALL ADVANCE OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN? GREAT. THANK YOU. AND I WILL INVITE JENNY TO COME AND SPEAK TO THAT.
ONE THING I WILL SAY BEFORE I HAND OVER THE MIC IS OUR GOALS IN WORKING WITH HOUSING ARE TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT CLIMATE ACTION AND HOUSING FOR ALL ARE NOT WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER, THAT WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLEMENT THAT WORK AND REDUCE HOUSING LIVING EXPENSES WITH EFFICIENCIES, INCREASED TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AND SO FORTH.
BUT AS THAT WAS JENNY'S MAIN FOCUS, I'D LOVE TO INVITE HER UP TO CHAT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL.
THANKS FOR THE GREAT QUESTIONS.
SO, NICOLE, SORT OF HIT IT ON.
YOU KNOW, THESE TWO EMERGENCIES AND PLANS WERE ADOPTED AT IN THE SAME YEAR, ESSENTIALLY.
RIGHT. AND WE WANTED TO INCLUDE THE HOUSING PLAN BECAUSE WHEN WE FIRST PUBLISHED THE 2021 CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, THE HOUSING PLAN HAD NOT BEEN ADOPTED YET. RIGHT.
AND SO IT WAS REALLY SORT OF JUST OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THESE TWO TOPICS ARE INTEGRAL AND THEY ARE HERE TOGETHER.
THE REASON THAT HOUSING IS, IS INTEGRAL TO OUR CLIMATE ACTION WORK IS BECAUSE OF THE THIRD GOAL IN THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, AND THAT IS OUR EQUITY GOAL.
AND SO THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH HOUSING IN A LOT OF WAYS.
THEY ARE THINGS THAT HELP FOLKS TAKE THE BUS RIGHT AND AND LOSE THEIR CAR PAYMENT.
[01:00:04]
SO THERE ARE SORT OF IT'S THEY ARE INTERTWINED IN A MYRIAD OF WAYS.AND THAT IS WHY WE INTEGRATED THEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED BOTH AS WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY GOALS MAKING HOUSING MORE SUSTAINABLE AND MORE AFFORDABLE FOR OUR FOLKS THAT NEED HOUSING.
I'VE REFERENCED A COUPLE OF TIMES ON THE DAIS TALKING ABOUT CALIFORNIA, WHO, IN MY OPINION, IS LIKE THE LEADER IN THEIR ACTIONS FOR REACHING THEIR CARBON NEUTRALITY GOALS.
ALL THAT WENT UP IN SMOKE WITH THEIR FIRES AND SET THEM BACK ABOUT 20 YEARS AND STUFF.
SO I THINK THERE IS A CONNECTIVITY TO MOVING FORWARD IN OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY GOALS.
CONGRATULATIONS, NICOLE AND JENNY AND EVERYBODY FOR THE AWARD THIS WEEKEND.
WE'RE VERY PROUD. WASN'T IT, FOR SUSTAINABILITY? YEAH, YEAH. THE VICE MAYOR WAS OUT THERE.
AND THAT'S VERY REWARDING BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS WORK REALLY, REALLY HARD AT THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE HOW THESE THINGS INTERTWINE.
WE DON'T LEAVE THE HOUSING PLAN.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT, SO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE OFTEN HEAR ME SAY THIS, THAT PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING, BOOING, ANY KIND OF INDICATION OF AGREEMENT OR DISAGREEMENT WITH WHAT PEOPLE SAY.
EVERY RESIDENT OF FLAGSTAFF HAS EQUAL ACCESS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND HAS A RIGHT TO FEEL COMFORTABLE GIVING PUBLIC COMMENT TO US AND WE WANT TO HEAR EVERYONE.
SO WITH THAT, CAN EVERYONE WHO IS LISTED ON THIS CARD FOR TOM PETERSON, I MEAN, TOM PETERSON, STAND UP? OKAY, SO YOU WILL HAVE TEN MINUTES.
THANK YOU, MAYOR DAGGETT, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE URGENT NECESSITY OF ADDING WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT TO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN. AT THE OUTSET, IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR PETITION IS NOT REQUESTING ANYTHING NEW.
RATHER, WE ARE ASKING YOU TO REINSTATE THE TOP PRIORITY STATUS OF WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT ORIGINALLY CONTAINED IN THE 2018 CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN.
I'D LIKE TO LIKE TO INTRODUCE SOME TERMS I BELIEVE WE CAN ALL AGREE ON.
FIRST, SUSTAINABILITY IS THE GOAL WE ARE ALL SEEKING.
EVERYONE WANTS FLAGSTAFF TO FLOURISH IN THE LONG TERM AND THE SHORT TERM.
SECOND, CLIMATE ACTION IS THE PROCESS WE USE TO PROTECT OUR UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT.
AND FINALLY, CLIMATE ACTION HAS TWO COMPONENTS CLIMATE MITIGATION, CARBON NEUTRALITY AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT.
HOWEVER, WHEN THE 2021 CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN REPLACED THE CAP CLIMATE ADAPTATION THAT IS WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT WAS DROPPED FROM THE FLAG FROM FLAGSTAFF'S ONLY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
NOT UNTIL THE MAJOR 2022 CMP REVISION WAS THERE EVEN A MINOR MENTION OF WILDFIRE AND DROUGHT, WHICH OCCUPIED ONLY 12 OF THE 162 PAGES OF THE PLAN? TRAGICALLY, SINCE 2018, FLAGSTAFF HAS ENDURED MULTIPLE MASSIVE WILDFIRES AND DEVASTATING FLOODING IN THE EAST, WEST AND CENTER OF FLAGSTAFF.
THE MUSEUM FIRE, TUNNEL FIRE, HAYWIRE FIRE AND PIPELINE FIRE HAVE DESTROYED UPWARDS OF 53,000 ACRES OF FOREST IN OUR AREA.
THEN CAME THE MONSOON RAINS AND INEVITABLE FLOODING FROM THE BURN SCARS.
[01:05:02]
FLOODING IS A RECURRING THREAT.45 MAJOR FLOOD EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED IN THE REGION OF THE PIPELINE FIRE ALONE.
ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE ARE THE POOR AND THE ELDERLY.
THE FIRE AND FLOOD DEVASTATION HAS IMPACTED EVERYONE IN FLAGSTAFF INSURANCE RATES FOR ALL OF US, FOR OUR HOMES, APARTMENTS AND BUSINESSES ARE SKYROCKETING BECAUSE OF THE FIRE AND FLOOD DAMAGE THAT HAS OCCURRED.
HIGHER RATES AFFECT US ALL THROUGH INCREASED RENTS AND HIGHER PRICES FOR GOODS AND SERVICES.
AND AGAIN, IT'S THE POOR AND THE ELDERLY LIVING ON FIXED INCOMES WHO SUFFER THE MOST.
TWO EXHAUSTIVE STUDIES, ENTITLED WILDFIRE CRISIS IN COCONINO COUNTY, INVESTIGATED THE IMMINENT PERIL POSED BY FIRE AND FLOODING ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS.
THE RESULTS WERE RECENTLY PRESENTED TO THE COCONINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
THE STUDIES CONCLUDED THAT MONSOON FLOODING COULD IMPACT 2000 STRUCTURES AND INFLICT $2.8 BILLION IN DAMAGE AND LOSS WAGES.
A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE WILDFIRE CRISIS BRIEFING, US SENATOR MARK KELLY CONVENED A HEARING OF HIS TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEE RIGHT HERE.
HIS HEARING, THE FIRST SENATE HEARING IN FLAGSTAFF IN MORE THAN 30 YEARS, FOCUSED ON ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS IN FLAGSTAFF LA AND FLAGSTAFF, LA.
DISTRICT COMMANDER COLONEL ANDREW BAKER EMPHASIZED THE CORPS WAS POISED TO FUND FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS UNDER A NEW 595 PROGRAM, A PROGRAM TAILOR MADE FOR FLAGSTAFF.
TO SUM UP, FLAGSTAFF'S RECENT HISTORY IS REPLETE WITH DEVASTATING WILDFIRES AND FLOODING EVENTS.
WE KNOW FROM CAREFUL ANALYTICAL STUDIES THAT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DESTRUCTION ARE IN OUR FUTURE UNLESS DRAMATIC ACTION IS TAKEN BOTH IN THE FOREST AND HERE IN TOWN, AND WE HAVE A SPECIAL MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY WITH NATIONAL ATTENTION FOCUSED ON OUR PLIGHT, IT'S TIME WE COMPLETED OUR ONLY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN BY ADDING A CLIMATE ADAPTATION COMPONENT, A MASTER PLAN FOR WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT.
AS COMMON SENSE AS THIS IDEA MIGHT SEEM, SOME SAY EMPHATICALLY NO.
FIRST, LET ME ADDRESS THE CLAIM THAT THE CNP SHOULD NOT INCLUDE WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT BECAUSE, QUOTE, THERE ARE ALREADY ENTITIES WITHIN AND BEYOND THE CITY TASKED WITH RESPONDING TO AND PREPARING FOR THESE EVENTS, UNQUOTE.
NUMEROUS AGENCIES ARE INDEED WORKING ON THESE PROBLEMS. BUT WHAT IS THEIR TRACK RECORD IN PROTECTING FLAGSTAFF? TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF FOREST HAVE BURNED, AND MASSIVE FLOOD EVENTS REGULARLY DEVASTATE OUR TOWN.
AND NOW A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS BY EXPERTS PREDICTS THOUSANDS MORE STRUCTURES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED, AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST IN A FUTURE CATASTROPHE.
ARE WE SATISFIED WITH THIS STATUS QUO? I HOPE NOT.
THIS IMMINENT CRISIS DEMANDS IMMEDIATE ACTION.
SECOND, IT IS SAID THAT IF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN WERE TO BE AMENDED AS REQUESTED IN THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST PETITION, THERE WOULD NO LONGER BE FUNDS OR PERSONNEL TO WORK ON CARBON NEUTRALITY WITHIN FLAGSTAFF.
CLIMATE ACTION IS NOT A ZERO SUM GAME.
CLIMATE ADAPTATION DOES NOT COMPETE WITH MITIGATION FOR FUNDING.
MOVING FORWARD IN ONE AREA DOES NOT COMPETE WITH WITH ANOTHER.
A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS COLONEL BAKER'S 595 PROGRAM.
HAD WILDFIRE FLOODING AND DROUGHT BEEN PART OF THE CNP? WE COULD HAVE GIVEN THE COLONEL A COPY TO REVIEW FOR HIS STAFF TO ANALYZE FOR GRANT SUPPORT.
FUNDING FOR WILDFIRE FLOODING AND DROUGHT TAKES NOTHING AWAY FROM CARBON NEUTRALITY PROGRAMS.
[01:10:07]
EXCUSE ME. ANOTHER AREA OF FREQUENT MISUNDERSTANDING IS THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST POSITION ON US CARBON NEUTRALITY ON THE US CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.WE DO MAINTAIN THAT THE NATIONAL PLAN CANNOT SUCCEED IN LOWERING GLOBAL ATMOSPHERIC CO TWO UNTIL UNTIL CHINA AND INDIA MAKE DRAMATIC CHANGES IN THEIR EMISSION POLICIES, CHINA AND INDIA PRODUCE OVER 40% OF THE WORLD'S CO TWO EMISSIONS, AND THEIR TOTALS ARE INCREASING EVERY YEAR.
OUR REDUCTIONS, THOUGH, ARE DWARFED BY CHINA AND INDIA'S RAPID EXPANSION.
IT REMAINS A MYSTERY TO ME WHY GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS AREN'T DEMONSTRATING EVERY DAY IN FRONT OF CHINESE AND INDIAN EMBASSIES WORLDWIDE. THAT'S WHERE THE REAL CHANGE MUST TAKE PLACE.
GLOBAL ATMOSPHERIC CO2 CONCENTRATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE UNTIL CHINA AND INDIA DO AN ABOUT FACE.
LET ME CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT I BELIEVE IT IS THE GOAL OF EVERYONE HERE TODAY TO IMPROVE THE SHORT AND LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF FLAGSTAFF. WE KNOW OUR CITY REMAINS UNDER IMMINENT THREAT OF CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE AND FLOODING, ADDING THE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT TO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN WILL OPEN THE PATH FOR COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE ACTION THAT WILL SAVE LIVES, PROPERTY AND POSSIBLY THE CITY ITSELF.
AND FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK YOU, NICOLE, FOR YOUR COMPREHENSIVE BRIEFING ON OUR PETITION.
AND IT IS DONE WITHOUT THE $80,000 COST MENTIONED IN THE OTHER PRIORITY.
SO I BELIEVE THE KEY TO IT IS PUTTING WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT AS A TOP PRIORITY IN THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS SOON AS CONCEIVABLY POSSIBLE.
ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE JOE DONALDSON AND THEN BRIAN BATES.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR DONALDSON.
YES. I CAN NO WAY MATCH TOM'S PRESENTATION.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS AN ISSUE WITH THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
WILDFIRE. FLOODING AND DROUGHT WERE PART OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN TO BEGIN WITH.
AS WE HAVE SEEN BY EVIDENCE OF THE PAST, OUR CATASTROPHIC EVENTS THAT HAVE COST NOT ONLY THE TAXPAYERS YOU REPRESENT FINANCIAL HARM, BUT AS ALSO MANY CITIZENS DIRECTLY, AND PROPERTY DEVALUATION, LOSS OF PERSONAL PROPERTY AND DEVASTATING EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM.
I DON'T NEED TO REHASH THE PAST.
YOU ARE AWARE OF THE IMPACT THESE EVENTS HAVE HAD ON THE COMMUNITY YOU WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT.
I NOTICED IN THE PRESENTATION THE CMP DOES NOT.
DRY WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT.
IT SHOULD BE AS IMPORTANT AS CARBON NEUTRALITY.
OPTION NUMBER THREE SEEMS A GOOD MOVE TO MOVE FORWARD ON.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.
THANK YOU, BRIAN BATES AND THEN KATHLEEN ARMSTRONG.
MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND PUBLIC.
[01:15:01]
IT'S BEEN MY OBSERVATION THAT GOVERNMENTS FUNCTION BEST WHEN RESPONSIBILITIES ARE CLEARLY DESIGNATED TO DIFFERENT AGENCIES, AND THAT THOSE AGENCIES COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.PROVIDING CITIZEN SAFETY THROUGH FIRE PROTECTION IS A GOVERNMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
THIS ALLOCATION OF SKILLS AND RESOURCES HAS HISTORICALLY PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE WHEN AGENCIES WORK TOGETHER, AS HAS HAPPENED ALREADY HERE IN FLAGSTAFF.
FLAGSTAFF'S HISTORY OF COOPERATING WITH THE FOREST SERVICE DATES BACK TO THE 1930S, WHEN THE NATION'S FIRST FIRE FOREST FIRE TRAINING AND RESEARCH RESEARCH CENTER WAS CREATED IN VAUDEVILLE.
FOREST SEGMENTS AROUND FLAGSTAFF HAVE BEEN THINNED UNDER THE FOUR FOREST RESTORATION ACT, AND AROUND 2012 OR 2014, FLAGSTAFF SIGNED OUR NATION'S FIRST CONTRACT TO HAVE THE FOREST SERVICE THIN URBAN FOREST VIA CITIZEN APPROVED MAJOR.
BUT THE QUESTION IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE? AND TO BE EFFECTIVE.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS TO LOOK AT A LONG TERM STRATEGY WITHIN THE PLAN.
WE HAVE A GOOD CARBON NEUTRAL PLAN.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE INCREASE IN FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF THE FOREST AND RANGE FIRES IS LARGELY BEING DRIVEN BY OUR FOSSIL FUEL ECONOMY, AND THAT'S EVIDENCED BY THIS YEAR'S WARMEST WINTER ON RECORD.
IF LONG TERM PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY IS OUR GOAL, THEN CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY'S ARTICULATED CARBON NEUTRAL PLAN CAN DECREASE THE PROBABILITY OF CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE MORE THAN SHIFTING MONEY OR OTHER RESOURCES OUT OF THE CNP IN ORDER TO BUY THE FORT, IN ORDER TO BUY RESOURCES THAT THE FOREST SERVICE ALREADY HAS.
THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING OF PART OF THE PROPOSAL FROM THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST PROPOSAL.
PROPOSITION. SO MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WE'VE GOT A GOOD PLAN.
WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE PLAN AND OTHER ITEMS CAN BE BROUGHT UP.
AND AS NICOLE SAID, YOU CAN CONSIDER THEM IN THE FUTURE.
BUT FOR NOW, I ASK YOU TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE CARBON NEUTRAL PLAN.
KATHLEEN ARMSTRONG AND THEN DEE HOAGLAND.
HONORABLE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I URGE YOU TO LEAVE INTACT THE CITY'S CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2030, AS IT IS NOW WRITTEN.
THIS PLAN IS ABOUT PREVENTION.
IT'S ABOUT ASKING HOW DO WE PREVENT INTENSE, CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRES AND BIGGER, MORE WIDESPREAD FLOODING? ANYTHING ELSE IS REACTING AND TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE CONTINUALLY ADAPTING.
TRANSPORTATION IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF FLAGSTAFF'S CARBON OUTPUT.
AS WELL AS BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHY ARE THEY SO CONCERNED? AS PER THEIR WEBSITE, WITH COMPARATIVELY SMALL BUDGET OF OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, WHEN SO MANY OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE HUGE BUDGETS DEDICATED TO ADAPTATION REMEDIES FOR FLOODS AND WILDFIRES.
OUR CLIMATE IS WARMING RAPIDLY NOW.
LAST YEAR, 2023 WAS THE HOTTEST EVER RECORDED WORLDWIDE.
THE CNP WAS CREATED BY A GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS, INCLUDING RETIRED NIU PROFESSORS, FIELD BIOLOGISTS, CLIMATE EDUCATORS AND MANY OTHER KNOWLEDGEABLE, COMMITTED PEOPLE.
PLEASE KEEP OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY 2030 PLAN AS IT IS NOW.
[01:20:05]
THANK YOU. THANK YOU.DE HOAGLAND AND THEN ROBERT BOWSER.
COUNCIL. MY NAME IS DEE HOAGLAND.
I'M HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
WHEN I TALK WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, SOME SAY IT'S TOO LATE.
THIS GRIM VIEW OF THE PLANET'S FUTURE HAS BECOME COMMON.
CANNOT FIND ANY REASON TO BE HOPEFUL.
MY INVOLVEMENT WITH NASCAR HAS GIVEN ME HOPE THAT THROUGH PERSONAL ACTIONS AND POLITICAL MEASURES, WE HAVE A CHANCE OF AVERTING CATASTROPHIC EVENTS.
WE KNOW WHAT CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE AND WHAT TO DO TO STOP IT IF WE BECOME PARALYZED AND DO NOTHING.
THE EFFECTS ON THE PLANET WOULD BE DISASTROUS.
A VARIETY OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS WOULD BE AT RISK OF EXTINCTION.
RISING SEA LEVELS COULD IMPACT A BILLION PEOPLE.
HEAT WAVES WOULD BE MORE FREQUENT AND MORE SEVERE.
SOME AREAS WILL EXPERIENCE A SURGE IN EXTREME HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS. THE LIST OF EFFECTS GO ON AND ON.
MAHATMA GANDHI WISELY SAID, AND I QUOTE, THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON WHAT WE DO IN THE PRESENT.
WHAT KIND OF FUTURE DO YOU CHOOSE? PLEASE DO NOT AMEND FLAGSTAFF'S CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ROBERT BOWSER, AND THEN JIM SCHWEIKERT.
I'M BOB BOWSER, A FORMER BIOLOGY AND ENGLISH TEACHER HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER.
WE'RE ALL AWARE THAT THE PLANET HAS BECOME OVERHEATED AND CAUSED A LOT OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER PROBLEM WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
90% OF THE EXCESS CARBON IS ABSORBED BY THE OCEAN.
AND IF WE LOSE THE OXYGEN IN THE OCEAN, THEN WE'RE DOOMED.
65% OF OUR OXYGEN COMES FROM THE PLANKTON IN THE OCEAN.
SO I VEHEMENTLY AND VOCIFEROUSLY OPPOSED THE AMENDMENT TO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
JIM SCHWEIKERT AND THEN MICHELLE JAMES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR.
WELL, APPARENTLY I'M WITH A DARK MONEY GROUP.
I'M GOING TO LOOK INTO THAT, THOUGH.
I WAS GOING TO USE THE FAVORITE WORDS.
I WAS JUST GOING TO STAND UP AND SAY, I VERY MUCH, VERY MUCH SUPPORT THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST PETITION TO BRING A BALANCE BACK AND WHAT WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE CAP AND PUT INTO THE NEW CNP, INEXPLICABLY, JUST TO URGE YOU TO PUT IT BACK IN.
AND IT GOES WITH THE CITY'S MISSION.
I USED TO HANG OUT IN LAHAINA.
NOW THAT WAS ONLY 12,000 PERSON POPULATION IN LAHAINA AND.
AND IT WAS 104 LIVES LOST IN THAT.
AND THE PRIMARY REASON? AND I WOULD THIS THIS IS BORNE OUT BY THE FACTS.
THE PRIMARY REASON THIS HAPPENED WAS THEIR LASER FOCUS ON CARBON NEUTRALITY.
AND THEY'RE SETTING ASIDE NOW.
I'M NOT ATTACKING CARBON NEUTRALITY MATTERS WHEN I SAY THAT.
[01:25:06]
WELL, YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK RECENTLY ON DON'T LAHAINA FLAGSTAFF.IS THIS A RADICAL IDEA TO URGE THAT WE HAVE A BALANCED APPROACH, THAT WE BE BETTER PREPARED? ADDING WILDFIRE, DROUGHT AND FLOOD BACK IN AS A TOP PRIORITY IS NOT A SHOULD NOT BE A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC. IT IS NOT A RADICAL TOPIC, AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T NEED DARK MONEY TO ADVANCE SUCH A TOPIC.
IT'S ABOUT BEING PREPARED, AND THAT DOES ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND FLAGSTAFF $2.8 BILLION IN ECONOMIC HARM.
THE STUDY THAT WAS JUST DONE FOR THE COCONINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BY J.E.
TWO PARTS. THEY PRESENTED THAT, AND IT'S AN EYE OPENER.
IN THAT ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE CR TWO ACTION NUMBER FOUR IN THE FALL OF 2022.
WOULD ANYONE DISAGREE THAT AT THIS TIME, IN THIS PLACE, FLAGSTAFF WITH ALL THE FIRES AND ALL THE FLOODING THAT WE HAVE SEEN, WOULD ANYONE DISAGREE THAT WE SHOULD BE MORE BALANCED IN OUR APPROACH TO ADDRESS THOSE RISKS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MICHELLE JAMES AND THEN LAURA KESSLER.
HELLO. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M MICHELLE JAMES. I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FRIENDS OF FLAGSTAFF FUTURE.
THESE ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR DECADES BY THE CITY, THE COUNTY, THE US FOREST SERVICE AND OTHER LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES IN OUR REGION, IN ARIZONA AND IN THE WESTERN US.
FLAGSTAFF CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN ESTABLISHES A VISION FOR HOW FLAGSTAFF WILL CREATE A CARBON NEUTRAL FUTURE, AND IT FOCUSES ON ACTIONS REQUIRED TO TO REACH CARBON NEUTRALITY BY REDUCING EMISSIONS.
THE INCLUSION OF THESE CONSEQUENCES INTO THE CNRP WOULD DILUTE THE PLAN AND DIRECT FUNDS AWAY FROM OUR CITY'S EFFORT TO ACHIEVE CARBON NEUTRALITY VIA EMISSIONS REDUCTION AND OTHER SPECIFIC ACTIONS, INCLUDING ENHANCING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE, ENSURING EQUITY, ETC., ETC..
WE URGE THE COUNCIL TO NOT AMEND CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS REQUESTED IN THIS PETITION, AND SINCE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME LEFT, I'D LIKE TO ASK ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO SUPPORTS THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS IT EXISTS NOW WITHOUT AN AMENDMENT TO STAND.
THANK YOU. LAURA KESSLER AND THEN TAYLAN.
GOOD AFTERNOON. AS A FLOOD IMPACTED RESIDENT, I ACTUALLY CRINGE AT THE HYPER FOCUS.
GREAT WORD, LAURIE, ON THE CARBON NEUTRALITY INSTEAD OF DRASTIC ADAPTATION, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED.
I'M TRYING NOT TO BE TOO EMOTIONAL HERE, BUT YET FLAGSTAFF IS STILL GREATLY THREATENED BY WILDFIRE AND FLOODING, AS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE RECENT COCONINO COUNTY WILDFIRE CRISIS REPORT.
AND I ASK THAT EVERYONE IN THE CITY AND IN THIS ROOM FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE INCONVENIENT FACT THAT RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN THE RIO DE FLAG CORRIDOR ARE IN GREAT DANGER.
IF THE TINDERBOX ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE PEAKS BURNS BEFORE ALL THESE GRAND PLANS ARE REALIZED.
AND IT COULD HAPPEN. IT COULD HAPPEN IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS FROM NOW.
AND I DON'T CARE IF I'M THE LAST PERSON HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AND 70,000 OTHER PEOPLE ARE AGAINST IT.
THIS IS WE'VE GOT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT HERE.
YOU GOT TO PROTECT ME. MY HOME, MY NEIGHBORHOOD NOW AS A FLOOD.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE FOREST MANAGEMENT? EVERYBODY IGNORES THAT.
WE'VE TALKED TO THE FIRE EXPERTS.
[01:30:02]
PLEASE TALK MORE TO THEM.SO ANYWAY, AFTER FOUR CATASTROPHIC FIRES IN 13 YEARS, I'VE LOST FAITH IN GOVERNMENT.
TO PROTECT MY HOME AND MY TOWN, WE MUST FOCUS ON FLAGSTAFF FIRST.
THE THE COUNTY'S REPORT HAS ALTERED US TO THE ALL HANDS ON DECK SITUATION WE ARE IN.
WE NEED MORE FOCUS ON ADAPTING TO IMMINENT DANGERS.
BECAUSE IF ADDING ADAPTATION OR MORE OF IT BACK INTO THE LOPSIDED CNP SAVES EVEN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ONE LIFE, THEN IT MUST BE ADDED.
NOW IT'S TIME TO FACE RESPONSIBILITY.
NO MORE LEADING FROM BEHIND THROUGH REACTIONARY MANNERS LIKE SANDBAGS AFTER THE FACT.
SPEAK AND WORK WITH THE FIRE EXPERTS.
INVEST IN PREVENTION, BUT WITHOUT FINANCIALLY SADDLING THE RESIDENTS ANY FURTHER.
WE ALREADY HAVE AN UNAFFORDABLE TOWN WITH HIGHER INSURANCE RATES AND WATER RATES.
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.
THE GREATEST THREAT TO FLAGSTAFF ISN'T CO2 IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
BUT IT'S NOT THE GREATEST THREAT TO FLAGSTAFF.
IT'S NOT THE GREATEST THREAT TO MY LIFE.
THE GREATEST THREAT IS A FEW MILES AWAY, JUST UP THE ROAD.
IT'S FLOODING AND IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK.
SO PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING BEFORE IT HAPPENS.
MAKE ADAPTATION A TOP PRIORITY.
FLAGSTAFF FIRST, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
TALIN, BELKA AND THEN JOHN MCCARTNEY.
GOOD DAY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS CELINE BELKA, AND IT PLEASES ME TO SAY I'M A RESIDENT OF FLAGSTAFF.
AND I WANT TO BEGIN BY THANKING THE FORWARD THINKING THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WITH ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THE REGIONAL PLAN, I THINK IT'S A GREAT.
PLAN OF ACTION AND IT'S COMMITTING TO ACTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THE WORK THEY'RE DOING.
MITIGATION IS GOING TO LEAD TO PROSPERITY FOR EVERYONE AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT.
AND I'M SORRY THAT THE COUNCIL MUST CONTINUE TO ADDRESS A PLAN THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE.
ONCE AGAIN, THE COUNCIL HAS TO DEFEND ITS DECISION ON AN ISSUE THAT IS CLEARLY FORWARD THINKING, AND WE NEED FORWARD THINKING TO REMAIN TRUE TO THE VISION WE ALL CARRY.
I'M ASKING THAT THE COUNCIL NOT ADVANCE THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST PETITION, BECAUSE IT WILL UNDERMINE THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN ALREADY IN PLACE AND THE COUNCIL'S GOAL.
IT NEGATES THE COUNCIL'S GOAL TO BE CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2030.
I SUPPORT OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IN ITS CURRENT FORM FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
THE FIRST, OBVIOUSLY, IS THAT IT ADDRESSES THE CLIMATE CRISIS.
WHILE EVERYONE FEELS LIKE CO2 MAY NOT BE THE IMMEDIATE THREAT, IT IS THE IMMEDIATE THREAT.
AND WITHOUT MITIGATIONS TOWARD THAT GOAL, WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE FIRES.
NO MATTER HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS WE HAVE.
OUR COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY FELT AND SUFFERED FROM, AND WE JUST HEARD FROM SOMEBODY WHO DID SUFFER FROM THE PROBLEMS OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS.
RIGHT NOW WORLDWIDE, WE'RE SEEING EVIDENCE OF IT EVERY DAY IN FIRES, FLOODS AND DROUGHTS.
ACCORDING TO SOMEBODY THAT LIVED THERE AT THE TIME.
FIGHT. THE FIRE WAS HOARDED, SO I WOULD LIKE TO.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN MCCARTNEY AND THEN STEFFEN SOMMER.
[01:35:04]
HI, MY NAME IS JOHN MCCARTNEY.I'M WITH NASCAR AND I'VE LIVED WITH IN FLAGSTAFF FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I BELIEVE THAT THE CMP WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF FLAG TO SLOW DOWN AND REVERSE CLIMATE CHANGE.
IT AIMS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS BY REDUCING AND ELIMINATING CARBON THAT MAN'S DUMPED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
THIS ADDED CARBON IS MAKING LIFE AS WE KNOW IT UNSUSTAINABLE.
THIS CLIMATE CHANGE IS HARMING THE ENVIRONMENT ALL AROUND US.
AS WE'VE SEEN, THE 1996 SIDE FIRE IGNITED A BLOCK FROM MY RENTAL HOME.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT KICKED IN WITH MASSIVE CORTISOL DUMPS INTO MY SYSTEM.
I NEVER HAD SEEN TREES BLOWING UP LIKE FUEL AIR BOMBS THREATENING MY YOUNG FAMILY.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE SYMPTOMS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT BY ADDRESSING THE CAUSE, WE WILL ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS FOR TODAY AND INTO THE FUTURE. WHILE PUTTING OUT THE FIRES ONLY JUST ADDRESSES WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, HERE, WE'RE MORE SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE USE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE CMP SHOULD BE USED TO FUND AND MANAGE FIRE MANAGEMENT.
THE CITIES, COUNTIES AND FEDS HAVE FUNDING, MANAGEMENT AND CREWS TO DO THIS WORK.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE CMP SHOULD GET INVOLVED WITH ESTABLISHING REQUIREMENTS FOR ROOF STRENGTH AND FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEMS. THE CITIES, COUNTIES AND FEDS HAVE THE FUNDING, OVERSIGHT, AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THESE CONCERNS.
JUST LAST WEEK, COCONINO COUNTY FLOOD DISTRICT MANAGER AND ANDREANI TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF THE US SENATE ON WILDFIRE, WILDFIRE AND FLOODING CONCERNS AND COORDINATION. SHE IS ONE OF THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES FOR MANAGING THESE VERY REAL THREATS.
THEY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE TOOLS TO ATTACK THESE ISSUES.
THE INTENT OF THE CMP IS TO STEER OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS CLEANING UP THE CLIMATE.
THIS IS THE GREAT CHALLENGE OF OUR LIFETIME.
BIGGER THAN THE SPACE PROGRAM AND WORLD WAR TWO COMBINED.
WE NEED ANOTHER GREATEST GENERATION.
OBVIOUSLY FIRES AND FLOODINGS ARE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM.
WE IN PART ARE GUIDED BY THE FLAGSTAFF NEUTRALITY PLAN.
IN MEDICINE, LET'S PUT IN THE STENTS AND IGNORE THE HEART DISEASE.
OR LET'S PRESCRIBE TYPE TWO DIABETES MEDICATION INSTEAD OF CORRECTING OUR HORRENDOUS DIETS.
LET'S BLEED THE PRESIDENT THE PATIENT.
LET'S NOT LET THAT HAPPEN TO OUR FUTURE.
STEFAN SOMMER AND THEN PHIL GOLDBLATT.
OKAY. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF HE'S COMING BACK? NO. OKAY, PHIL GOLDBLATT AND THEN PAT ELLSWORTH.
THE CNP HAS ALREADY BEEN REVISED SEVERAL TIMES, EVOLVING TO REFLECT THE PRIORITIES OF THE PEOPLE, SO ADDING ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL CITY PRIORITIES SHOULD BE AN EASY CHOICE.
NUMBER TWO, MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION MUST BE IN PLACE, OR ANY CARBON NEUTRAL INVESTMENTS ARE AT RISK OF GOING UP IN SMOKE WHEN WE HAVE OUR NEXT CATASTROPHIC FIRE. NUMBER THREE, THE CNP SHOULD ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE THREATS FOR ALL CITIZENS, NOT JUST THE ONES WHO WANT TO FOCUS ON FUTURE ASPECTS OF THE RISKS. TO EXPAND ON THIS LAST POINT, BRIEFLY, IT'S A FREEDOM ISSUE FOR MANY RESIDENTS.
IT MAKES LITTLE SENSE TO ME TO BE SO OUT OF SYNC WITH THE REST OF OUR COUNTRY WITH REGARD TO TIMELINE, MAINLY BECAUSE, AS I'VE ALLUDED TO IN THE PAPER, I SENT A COUNCIL FLAGSTAFF EMISSIONS ARE A DROP IN THE BUCKET COMPARED WITH, AND WE HAVE LITTLE, IF ANY, CONTROL OVER MAJOR EFFORTS BY THE ELECTRICAL POWER COMPANIES, THE TRANSMISSION LINE COMPANIES, AND THE LARGE OIL COMPANIES AS TO THEIR TRANSITION TO RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ELECTRIC POWER, RENEWABLE SOURCES OF TRANSPORTATION, FUELS AND RENEWABLE FEEDSTOCKS FOR PETROCHEMICALS SO IMPORTANT TO THE PRODUCTION OF MEDICINES, PLASTICS AND
[01:40:01]
SURFACTANTS THAT ALL OF SOCIETY NEEDS.HOWEVER, CONTRARY TO WHAT SOME MAY SAY, AT NO TIME HAS ANYONE FROM FLAGSTAFF FIRST SAID TO COUNCIL THAT WE WISH TO GUT EFFORTS AT MITIGATION OF CO2. IT'S GOOD, IN FACT, IF THOSE CONTINUE.
I BELIEVE WHAT FLAGSTAFF FIRST HAS SAID, HOWEVER, IS TO RESTORE MORE OF A BALANCE TO THE CMP BETWEEN BOTH MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION EXACTLY AS THE PRIOR CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN CONTAINED.
IF YOU LIKE YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY, YOU CAN KEEP YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY.
BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO ALL GREEN AND CAN AFFORD IT, YOU CAN ALSO DO SO.
AND OUR SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT I'M SURE WILL HELP AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO ACCOMPLISH THAT AS WELL.
PLEASE ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST PETITION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? MAY I ASK, MAYOR, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? SEE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR DAGGETT AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AS I'M SITTING HERE LISTENING TO WHAT FLAGSTAFF FIRST HAS TO SAY, I'M FEELING A LOT OF EMPATHY WITH THEIR THE INTENSITY OF THEIR CONCERNS.
AND I KNOW THAT FIRE AND FLOODING HAVE HAD.
TERRIBLE EFFECTS ON SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS.
IT TAKES TO REALLY DEAL WITH FIRE AND FLOODING.
THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE THAT MONEY.
THAT MONEY HAS TO COME FROM THE STATE AND THE FEDS.
WHAT THE CITY CAN'T DO, HOWEVER, IS WHAT'S IN THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
WAYS TO DECREASE OUR EMISSIONS.
WITH LOWERING THEIR COSTS FOR THE THINGS THAT ENERGY DOES, YOU KNOW, LIKE WARMING OUR HOMES.
AND IT WILL IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE IN FLAGSTAFF.
I THINK THE PHYSICAL HUMAN HEALTH ELEMENT OFTEN GETS LOST IN THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION, AND WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT DECREASING EMISSIONS WILL IMPROVE HUMAN HEALTH.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS KAY BORDWELL, AND I HAVE BEEN AN EDUCATOR FOR 30 YEARS.
I'VE LIVED IN FLAGSTAFF SINCE 1971.
I DONATE MY TIME NOW TO THE SIERRA CLUB AND NASCAR, AND I SERVE ON THE COUNCIL OF FIRST THINGS FIRST, WHICH IS A FUNDING FUNDING PROGRAMS FOR BIRTH THROUGH KINDERGARTEN AGE CHILDREN.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR SUPPORTING THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
AND I SHARE MY CONCERN ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED.
THE AREA OF CONCERN SURROUNDS THE PETITION AND PROPOSES ADDING AND FUNDING TOP PRIORITY AREAS WHICH CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF MONIES AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THE CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVE TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2030.
CLIMATE CHANGE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED.
[01:45:03]
WORSE BY INACTION TO REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS.THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION HAS AGREED THAT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN SHOULD STAND AS WRITTEN, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE FORWARD WITH A GOOD PLAN INTO THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS TO MAKE PROGRESS IN FIGHTING GLOBAL WARMING.
WE HAVE A VISION FOR OUR CITY AND COUNTY.
THAT VISION NEEDS TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE ACTIONS THAT WE DO DAILY.
WE CAN REDUCE OUR USE OF FOSSIL FUELS IN OUR CARS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AND PROVIDE WAYS FOR CITIZENS TO IMPLEMENT THE USE OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND USE LESS ONE TIME USE OF PLASTICS.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR THEIR PRESENTATION, WHICH WAS REALLY, REALLY WELL DONE AND THOUGHTFUL AND I HOPE GIVES A GOOD SENSE FOR EVERYONE OF WHAT WE HAVE AS A PLAN.
THANK YOU, VICKY PARKES AND THEN JILL STEVENSON.
MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
I MIGHT AS WELL ALSO ASK FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE FROM FLAGSTAFF.
I'M A LONG TIME FLAGSTAFF RESIDENT, AND I SEE THIS CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS A GOAL TO WORK TOWARDS SOMETHING, BUT AT THIS TIME WE HAVE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT OF FIRE.
WELL, THERE ARE GOING TO BE OTHER ENTITIES OF TAKING AND FINANCES, OF TAKING CARE OF FIRE.
AS THE SECOND LARGEST COUNTY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND OVER 80% OF IT FOREST.
IT WON'T TAKE MUCH FOR THE FIRE IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME TO SPREAD TO FLAGSTAFF PROPER. AND THEN YOU DO HAVE A FINANCIAL PROBLEM.
LONG TERM GOALS ARE LONG TERM, AS YOU'VE SEEN, TOWARDS 2030, WHICH I DON'T THINK CAN BE MET.
I THINK 2050 MIGHT BE A MORE REASONABLE TIME FOR THOSE GOALS, BUT FIRE MANAGEMENT PROBABLY HASN'T TAKEN PLACE UNTIL FORFREE CAME INTO EXISTENCE.
AND DOING SOME FOREST MANAGEMENT IN A LOT OF THE FIRES, THEY'RE TRYING TO BLAME CLIMATE CHANGE WHEN THERE WAS NOT FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE. YOU CAN ONLY HAVE SO MANY TREES PER ACRE AND HAVE IT HEALTHY.
SO THE FOREST SERVICE AND THE COCONINO COUNTY ALL THOSE PRESENTATIONS PRETTY SPEAK LOUD AND CLEAR THAT FIRE THREATS ARE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
AND I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE PUT THAT BACK IN PLACE BEFORE FLAGSTAFF SUFFERS.
JILL STEVENSON AND THEN BUCK SANFORD.
GREETINGS, COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH NORTHERN ARIZONA CLIMATE CHANGE AND A RESIDENT OF FLAGSTAFF.
I THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT FLAGSTAFF FIRST'S PROPOSAL AS IT WILL UNDERMINE THE CNRP.
NONE OF US DENY THE IMPACT OF FIRE AND FLOODS AND DROUGHT, BUT OTHER ENTITIES ARE ALREADY FUNDING AND HANDLING FIRES, FLOODS AND DROUGHT IN COCONINO COUNTY, INCLUDING FLAGSTAFF.
[01:50:03]
IF IT IS WEAKENED IN ANY WAY, WE WILL BE SORELY HAMPERED IN THESE LIFE SAVING, LIFE SAVING STEPS TOWARDS CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2030. THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE UPDATED REGIONAL PLAN, WHICH ALSO GUIDES COCONINO COUNTY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY.YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DETERMINE MUCH OF THE FUTURE OF FLAGSTAFF.
PLEASE USE IT WITH THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF ALL IN MIND.
SUPPORT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS IT IS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU, SUSTAINABILITY, FOR YOUR EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, BUCK SANFORD AND THEN MARION SHARP.
AND I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ONE WHO'S CARRIED A FIRE TORCH SET, PRESCRIBED BURNS IN THE NORTH ROOM, CAREFULLY LOOKED AT FIRE.
I'VE BEEN IN FLAGSTAFF FOR 13 YEARS NOW.
I'M PART OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE ALLIANCE, AND I'VE LIVED REALLY WORKING ON TRYING TO ADVISE THE COMMUNITY AND ADVISE FRIENDS. CERTAINLY TEACH THE STUDENTS ON WHERE WE NEED TO GO WITH REGARD TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
I KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE, AND I KNOW THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THE CURRENT PLAN, AS IT IS BY A FAR LARGER NUMBERS THAN THE OTHER. THEN THE OTHER PROPOSAL.
I THANK THE CLIMATE, THE COUNCIL FOR SUPPORTING THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
I SUGGEST STRONGLY THAT THE FLAG FIRST PROPOSAL WILL UNDERMINE THE CLIMATE NEUTRALITY PLAN AND ITS GOAL OF CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2030.
CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND AND MITIGATION ARE COMPLEX TOPICS.
AND I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT WE'VE HEARD A DEFINITION OF CLIMATE MITIGATION THAT CHERRY PICKED.
IN FACT, THE CHERRIES THAT WERE PICKED ARE SO OLD THAT THEY'RE RAISINS.
I THINK YOU NEED TO LOOK AT HOW IT IS CURRENTLY UNDERSTOOD.
THEY PROPOSED TO CHANGE THE CNT PRIORITIES AND THINGS THAT ARE NOT ABOUT EMISSIONS CONTROL.
THE CNP IS ABOUT CARBON NEUTRALITY AND IT NEEDS TO STAY THAT WAY.
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A POINT ABOUT.
IT'S NEAR MEANS NEARSIGHTED IN THE.
IT'S LACKING IN FORESIGHT OR DISCERNMENT, NARROW IN PERSPECTIVE AND WITHOUT CONCERN FOR THE BROADER, THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS. CLIMATE SCIENCE GIVES US CLIMATE EMERGENCY AND COMMON SENSE.
IT'S WHAT I LEARNED FROM BEING ON FIRE CREW ON THE NORTH RIM.
IT'S WHAT? TELLS ME THAT MY TIMER IS UP AND I'LL STOP RIGHT NOW.
MARION SHARP AND THEN AMY WOLKONSKY.
I AM A LONG TIME FLAGSTAFF RESIDENT.
A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AND A CONCERNED CITIZEN.
I WAS REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN TODAY.
IT WAS VERY AN INFORMATIVE, INFORMATIVE AND GAVE ME A LITTLE MORE PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THE CITY IS DEALING WITH THE ISSUES THAT ARE FACING US, PARTICULARLY CLIMATE CHANGE.
[01:55:02]
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF NORTHERN ARIZONA CLIMATE CHANGE ALLIANCE, AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS IT AS IS WRITTEN.I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THOUGHTS FROM THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST PEOPLE, AND I TOO AM EMPATHETIC AND I RECOGNIZE THEIR CONCERNS, AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY DO NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, BUT NOT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
MORE FAR REACHING AND WILL HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT ON HOW THE CITY DEALS WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND I URGE YOU ALL TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE PLAN AS IT IS WRITTEN.
AND PERHAPS THESE OTHER CONCERNS CAN BE ADDRESSED IN ANOTHER.
FIREFIGHTING AND RESOURCES THAT ARE COMMITTED TO DROUGHT AND FIRE MITIGATION AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT THOSE ARE REALLY ISSUES THAT ARE RELATED TO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
IF THOSE ISSUES WERE ADDRESSED ORIGINALLY AND THEY WERE LEFT OUT.
THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A REASON FOR THAT.
AND I AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE THE CITY CAN'T REALLY AFFORD TO PAY FOR THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER THAT IT'S STATE FUNDING THAT'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE NEED FOR MITIGATION OF FIRE, DROUGHT AND FLOODING.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS IT IS WRITTEN.
THANK YOU, AMY WOLKOWYSKI AND THEN LAURA CARTER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, VICE MAYOR ASLAN, MAYOR DAGGETT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN THESE DISCUSSIONS SINCE ABOUT NOVEMBER RELATED TO THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST PETITION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE IS NOTICING THESE REALLY COMMON THREADS THAT KEEP BEING REPEATED OVER AND OVER.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'M BEGINNING TO THINK IS HAPPENING IS THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE EVOLVING INTO A DEBATE OVER SEMANTICS. WE ALL SUPPORT ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION.
AND I'VE HEARD SO MANY PEOPLE DEFINE THOSE TWO THINGS.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU, NICOLE, FOR WALKING US THROUGH THAT.
AND AND I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO STEP BACK AND REALIZE IS THAT BOTH ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO LOOK OUT FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE OR ANY ISSUE, YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY AND SOLVE THAT PROBLEM WHILE WORKING IN TANDEM TO FIX IT.
YOU NEED TO ADAPT TO THAT SITUATION IMMEDIATELY TO COLLECT THAT WATER AND PREVENT DAMAGE.
BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO FIX THE PIPE OR ELSE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S YOUR PLAN? JUST, YOU KNOW, TO REPLACE THE BUCKETS AND SET AN ALARM.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW I HAVE HOW I SEE THE WAY THIS CONVERSATION HAS EVOLVED.
AND THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IS FIXING THE PIPE.
WE HAVE TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL.
WE HAVE TO STOP CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM.
AND WHILE CHINA AND INDIA MIGHT BE EMITTING MORE THAN THE UNITED STATES DOES RIGHT NOW, THE UNITED STATES HAS PRODUCED 25% OF CARBON EMISSIONS TO DATE, WHILE CHINA IS AT 12.7 AND INDIA IS AT 3%.
SO WE HAVE DONE OUR PART ALREADY IN, IN, IN CREATING THIS PROBLEM.
[02:00:04]
AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO NOT BE FINGER POINTING, BUT STEP UP TO FIX IT.AND SO YOU KNOW, OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IS, IS FIXING THE PROBLEM.
AND THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE REGIONAL PLAN.
THANK YOU, NICOLE, FOR POINTING OUT THE OPTIONS.
AND THANK YOU, TOM PIERSON, FOR ADVOCATING FOR OPTION NUMBER THREE, I THINK.
THANK YOU, LAURA CARTER AND THEN SUSAN SHAPIRO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WORK THAT YOU DEVOTE TO MAKING FLAGSTAFF A MORE LIVABLE, WELL, EFFICIENTLY RUN, FUNCTIONING, BEAUTIFUL TOWN THAT THAT WE ALL LOVE.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S NOBODY IN HERE WHO DOESN'T LOVE FLAGSTAFF, BUT I, I'M HERE TO SAY, PLEASE STICK WITH THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS IT WAS WRITTEN AND ADOPTED, AND DON'T LET ILL INFORMED OR POLITICALLY MOTIVATED CONCERNS OVERRIDE THIS VERY THOUGHTFUL, SCIENCE BASED RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
I AGREE WITH YOUR STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THIS ISSUE, AND I THANK YOU FOR BEING PROACTIVE AND ORGANIZED AROUND IT AND URGE YOU TO CARRY ON.
I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THIS LANGUAGE AROUND FLAGSTAFF.
FIRST, I THINK WE ALL LOVE OUR TOWN, BUT TO ME IT IT ECHOES A REALLY DANGEROUS AND TERRIBLE TIME IN OUR COUNTRY IN THE 1940S WHEN THE FIRST AMERICA FIRST GROUP ROSE UP TO FIGHT AGAINST US GETTING INVOLVED IN WORLD WAR TWO, AND THIS GROUP TURNING AWAY SHIPS OF REFUGEES AND SAYING NO AND SAYING, NO, WE WON'T GET INVOLVED.
NO, WE WON'T FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.
AND I THINK THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS THEIR PRIORITIES VERY STRAIGHT AROUND THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
I SUPPORT IT, AND I URGE YOU NOT TO ADOPT IT.
IN THE WAY THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED BY THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST PETITION.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY.
I'M IN HERE OF IN SUPPORT OF MAINTAINING THE PLAN AS IT IS.
I THINK YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW ME.
SO THAT'S MY TAKE ON THIS IS WHAT IS YOUR STORY OF ACTIVISM LIKE? WHAT WAS THAT MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU YOU KNOW, HAD A PIVOTAL MOMENT THAT MADE YOU REALLY, REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE? AND FOR ME, IT WAS, OKAY, DON'T LAUGH.
I WAS WATCHING A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PROGRAM.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL PLANT PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, HAPPY FLOWERS.
AND THEN AT THE END, THEY GAVE A WARNING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
I MEAN, I HAVE A LITTLE BABY AT HOME.
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE, HONESTLY.
AND YOU KNOW HOW I CALM MYSELF DOWN? I SAID OUR LEGISLATORS ARE NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN.
HERE WE ARE, 34 YEARS LATER WITH CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS.
AND, YOU KNOW, HERE IN FLAGSTAFF, LIVING WITH, YOU KNOW, FLOODS AND DROUGHTS AND SO ON.
AND THE OTHER THING, THOUGH, IS THAT HERE IN FLAGSTAFF, OUR CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN COURAGEOUS, HAS LED THE WAY IN FOLLOWING UP AND SUPPORTING THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
LIKE SMOKEY THE BEAR SAID, IT'S IT'S A PREVENTING CARBON EMISSIONS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
YEAH. YOU'VE GOT TO FIGHT THE FIRE.
THE FLOOD. I LOVE THE BUCKET ANALOGY, THOUGH.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY, I WONDER IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE AT WORK WITH THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST PLAN.
I LISTENED TO TOM PEARSON'S INTERVIEW ON THE JEFF HORVITZ SHOW WHERE CLIMATE CHANGE WAS RIDICULED.
[02:05:08]
THERE WAS A TON OF MISINFORMATION GIVEN AND THINGS LIKE, WELL, JEFF, THAT SAID THIS, NOT TOM IMPLIED THAT YOUR POWER GOES OFF IF SNOW COVERS YOUR SOLAR PANELS.YEAH. THAT DOESN'T THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
IT MAKES ME WONDER IF FOLKS IN FLAGSTAFF FIRST ACTUALLY BELIEVE CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL.
BUT HERE IN FLAGSTAFF, WE ARE LIVING WITH IT.
YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH. AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TONIGHT, AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL.
REALLY MAKES YOU THINK WHAT I THINK IS WE SHOULD LEAVE THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS IT IS.
AND. I AM DEFINITELY CONCERNED ABOUT FIRE.
SO I LOOKED THROUGH THE GOALS AND AND THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS IN THE PLAN.
ONE OF THE GOALS IS GOAL TWO IS SAYS MORE RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE FIRE AND FLOOD.
ON PAGE 119, RESTORING THE FOREST TO MITIGATE UNNATURAL WILDFIRE THREATS.
THERE ARE OTHER SIMILAR REFERENCES.
I GOT SUPERVISOR HORSEMAN'S QUARTERLY REPORT.
JUST RECENTLY, AND IT WAS BLUNT AND BRUTAL ABOUT THE $2.8 BILLION POSSIBLE FLOOD.
IT ALSO IDENTIFIED 12,000 ACRES THAT NEED TO BE THINNED.
WE NEED $26 MILLION TO DO THAT.
THEY HAVE $13 MILLION IN HAND.
IT SOUNDED LIKE FROM THIS REPORT, AND I DON'T THINK SUPERVISOR HORSTMAN WAS PULLING ANY PUNCHES, THAT IT'S MOVING FORWARD ABOUT AS FAST AS IT CAN, AND I AM AS FRUSTRATED AS ANYONE ELSE THAT AFTER 13 YEARS OF HAVING FORFREE SIGNED, WE HAVEN'T MADE MORE PROGRESS.
BUT IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FOREST SERVICE.
THE COUNTY SEEMS TO ME TO BE LEAD ON FLOOD.
MY ISSUE IS REALLY MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT STAFF IS IS A ZERO SUM GAME.
IF WE CHANGE THIS AND STAFF HAS TO JUMP ON TOP OF IT.
I'M CONCERNED THAT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PART GETS WATERED DOWN.
YOU FOLKS HAVE HAD A DISCUSSION AT LEAST ABOUT THE SITUATION IN GAZA.
THAT'S A LONG WAY FROM FLAGSTAFF.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE SAME THING.
YES. WE'LL HAVE A SMALL IMPACT.
PERHAPS IT'S A MORAL IMPERATIVE.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS GOING TO CREATE HUGE SUFFERING AROUND THIS PLANET.
IT'S A MORAL IMPERATIVE FOR US TO STAY FOCUSED.
AND I THINK THE CURRENT PLAN IS THE WAY TO DO THAT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, PAM CARTER AND THEN VAL BRYANT.
VAL BRYANT AND THEN ERIKA RACKLEY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
24 YEAR RESIDENT OF FLAGSTAFF.
I REPRESENT MYSELF AND CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY.
WE HAVE OVER 350 MEMBERS WHO? ONE OF THEM IS DOCTOR SANFORD WAS WITH ME HERE TODAY AND SEVERAL OTHER MEMBERS.
THE REST OF OUR 350 MEMBERS ARE SURE ARE HELPING THE ECONOMY OF FLAGSTAFF OUT WORKING TODAY.
I AM HERE TO ASK YOU, WITH OUR MEMBERS WHO LOBBY CONGRESS ON ON CLIMATE ISSUES
[02:10:08]
TO STAY THE COURSE.KEEP OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS IT IS.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO READ.
I'VE CHANGED MY THING SEVERAL TIMES, SO I HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION.
OUR SUSTAINABILITY DIVISION NEEDS ALL THE RESOURCES IT CAN ACQUIRE AND KEEP TO DO THE BIG JOB IT IS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, WHICH IS TO BRING THE CITIES CARBON AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS TO NEUTRAL BY 2030.
INCREASING CARBON AMOUNTS IN THE ATMOSPHERE IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM EXACERBATING OUR. CLIMATE PROBLEMS. INSURANCE WAS MENTIONED, AND I WILL HAVE TO SAY THAT THE INSURANCE RATES ARE INCREASING OVER THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSED BY THE CARBON EMISSIONS.
OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN BUDGET NEEDS TO REMAIN AS IT IS.
TO REDUCE THE CARBON, REDUCE THE PROBLEMS, YOU'VE GOT TO REDUCE.
AS AMY SAID A WHILE AGO, WITH THE ANALOGY WITH THE KITCHEN SINK, YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF THE MAJOR PROBLEM, WHICH IS CARBON, BEFORE WE CAN START ADDRESSING.
WELL, WE HAVE TO DO IT AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S A BALANCE, BUT WE NEED TO REDUCE THE CARBON.
THE ISSUES OF FLOOD, DROUGHT AND FIRE, AS YOU HAVE HEARD, ARE BEING WONDERFULLY FUNDED AND MANAGED BY OTHER CAPABLE AGENCIES AS WELL AS OUR SUSTAINABILITY DIVISION, AS YOU HAVE HEARD TODAY.
THANK YOU, ERIKA RACKLEY AND THEN KATHY FLACCUS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ERIKA RACKLEY AND FLAGSTAFF IS MY COMMUNITY.
I'M AN EMPLOYEE OF FUSD AND OF NIU AND OF A LOCALLY OWNED SMALL BUSINESS.
AND I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT FIRE AND FLOOD AND DROUGHT.
I WATCHED THE TUNNEL FIRE, SMOKE BLOW UP FROM MY LIVING ROOM WINDOW FROM A VERY SHORT DISTANCE AWAY, AND THEN WEEKS LATER, MY HOUSE WAS IN THE EVACUATION ZONE OF THE PIPELINE FIRE. SO I KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO RUN AROUND YOUR HOUSE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO TAKE AND WHAT TO LEAVE, PACK UP THE PETS AND DRIVE AWAY AND WONDER IF YOUR HOUSE WILL BE THERE WHEN YOU GET HOME. I KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE.
HOUSES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD STILL HAVE SANDBAG WALLS AROUND THEM THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR TWO YEARS.
MY YARD HAS PINYON AND JUNIPER TREES IN IT.
THESE ARE SPECIES THAT THRIVE IN ARID CLIMATES.
THEY'RE DROUGHT ADAPTED AND THE TREES IN MY YARD ARE DYING.
WE SAVE OUR CLEAN DISHWATER AND WATER THE TREES TO TRY TO KEEP THEM ALIVE.
IT'S FOR THESE EXACT REASONS THAT I ASK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS, TO KEEP THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN INTACT, TO REJECT THIS AMENDMENT BECAUSE THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN ADDRESSES ROOT CAUSES OF FIRE, FLOOD AND DROUGHT.
I WOULDN'T ASK THIS OF YOU IF THE CITY WERE NOT ADDRESSING FIRE, FLOOD AND DROUGHT IN OTHER WAYS.
THESE ARE EMOTIONAL ISSUES THAT AFFECT US ALL, SOMETIMES EXISTENTIAL THREATS.
AND SURE, THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE'VE GOT TO ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES.
I ASK MY FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PLEASE BE CIVIL TO EACH OTHER AND REFRAIN FROM NAME CALLING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANYONE SAID ON ON ANY KIND OF PODCAST, BUT I KNOW THAT ON THE FLAGSTAFF WEBSITE AT LEAST, CLIMATE DENIALISM IS NOT PART OF THE MESSAGE. BUT WHAT IS PART OF THE MESSAGE IS CALLING THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, QUOTE, A FUTILE EFFORT TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF GLOBAL WARMING.
AND THE WEBSITE ALSO SAYS THAT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN WOULD NOT DIRECTLY BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY.
AND AND BOTH THOSE STATEMENTS ARE INACCURATE.
WE WOULD FEEL THE BENEFITS OF THE CNRP LOCALLY.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
[02:15:01]
THANK YOU, KATHY FLACCUS AND THEN NEWT MCCORMICK.HI. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I LIVE AT 1021 NORTH HOPI DRIVE AND I'VE LIVED IN FLAGSTAFF FOR 52 YEARS.
AND OH, ALSO, I WAS A SCIENCE TEACHER IN FUSD FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS.
I TAUGHT AT SONOMA HIGH SCHOOL AS LONG AS IT WAS A HIGH SCHOOL.
AND IN THAT TIME, ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVED ABOUT FLAGSTAFF IS IT'S A SCIENCE TOWN, RIGHT? WE HAVE A SCIENCE FESTIVAL THAT LASTS TEN DAYS.
WE IN THE SCIENCE FESTIVAL, THEY THEY MAKE A DANCE, A BALLET TO SCIENCE.
I DON'T I DON'T KNOW ANY TOWN THAT ACTUALLY DOES ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND BEING A SCIENCE TOWN, I THINK WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE SCIENCE ABOUT THIS.
OVERWHELMINGLY MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, NEARLY 100%.
NOT QUITE, BUT NEARLY 100% OF CLIMATE.
SO I THINK AS A SCIENCE TOWN, WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THAT.
IF IT'S CARBON IN THE ATMOSPHERE, WE HAVE A CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, AND THAT PLAN MEANS WE'RE HEADED WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAD AS A TOWN BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THIS INTO CARBON NEUTRALITY.
I ALSO KNOW AS AN EXPERIENCED VOLUNTEER, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT US OLD RETIRED PEOPLE DO.
A LOT OF I VOLUNTEER IN SUSTAINABILITY IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
IT WAS THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY THAT I HELPED FILL SANDBAGS AFTER THE PIPELINE FLOOD, AND IT'S THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY THAT WE WORK WITH STREAM STEWARDS TO PREVENT FLOODING.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT SUSTAINABILITY, THEY DO A LOT OF THIS PREVENTION, BUT IN OTHER WAYS, NOT NECESSARILY THROUGH THIS PLAN, BUT THROUGH OTHER PARTS OF SUSTAINABILITY WHERE THEY WORK TO CLEAN UP THE ENVIRONMENT AND AND GET RID OF INVASIVE WEEDS THAT CAUSE A LOT OF THE OF THE FIRES SPREADING THE FIRES.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING.
THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IS SPECIFIC TO THE THE ONE MAJOR CAUSE OF THE CLIMATE CATASTROPHE.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT THAT THEY LOOK AT WAYS TO REDUCE CARBON, BUT ALSO FORMANT A NEXUS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNICATE REALLY WELL ABOUT FIRE PREVENTION AND FLOOD PREVENTION.
SO I THINK IT WORKS REALLY WELL THE WAY IT IS.
I WORKED FOR A FEW OF YOU ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
I SHOULD BE THE ONE YOU LISTEN TO.
JUST KIDDING. SO I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOUSE FOR $17,300 IN FLAGSTAFF, AND THERE WERE THREE STOPLIGHTS.
I MEAN, THAT'S A DEATH. NOW, I'VE HEARD CLIMATE CHANGE A LOT.
I GAVE UP COUNTING AROUND 400.
BUT I WONDER IF ANYBODY OF YOU REALLY RESEARCHED THE ISSUE.
DO ANY OF YOU KNOW HOW MUCH CARBON DIOXIDE IS IN THE ATMOSPHERE AS A PERCENTAGE? IT'S A VERY TRACE ELEMENT.
DO YOU KNOW BECKY? I WAS GOING TO SAY THIS IS YOUR TIME FOR COMMENT.
WELL, YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO THEY'RE SAYING CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE AIR IS CAUSING CLIMATE CHANGE, WHETHER IT'S 0.04% CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE. SO THAT'S A VERY TRACE ELEMENT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTION OF GASES CAN EVEN HOLD HEAT.
AND ALSO PLANTS NEED CARBON DIOXIDE TO EXIST.
SO IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN 0.025%, THE PLANTS WILL ALL DIE.
SO I OBJECT BASICALLY TO THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE AIR, WHICH IS AN EXTREMELY SMALL TRACE ELEMENT, 0.04%, IS CAUSING CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH I HAVEN'T REALLY NOTICED ANYWAY.
I MEAN, I'VE BEEN ON THIS EARTH LONG ENOUGH, AND IN THE 30S IT WAS MUCH HOTTER.
AND I THINK WE'RE ALL GETTING GASLIT THAT THERE'S A POLITICAL AGENDA.
ALL THE THINGS THAT GORE SAID DIDN'T COME TRUE.
[02:20:01]
THERE WERE THREE VOLCANOES UNDER THE ARCTIC WHICH WERE MELTING THE ICE.THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES INVOLVED, AND TO SPEND MONEY TO MITIGATE CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE AIR IS SILLY.
NOW, AUTOMOBILES HAVE BECOME EXTREMELY CLEAN WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS.
THEY ONLY EMIT WATER AND CARBON DIOXIDE.
CARBON DIOXIDE IS NOT A POLLUTANT.
THERE IS EXTREME GRAVE SITUATION, BUT IT IS NOT CARBON DIOXIDE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD GIVE YOU LIKE SOME INFORMATION, LIKE ON HISTORY OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND FLOODS AND CAN I LEAVE IT HERE? I MEAN, I JUST NEED TO HEAR.
YOU. NONE OF YOU KNEW HOW MUCH CARBON DIOXIDE WAS IN THE AIR.
IT'S LIKE BEING A MUSLIM IN A MUSLIM COUNTRY.
I WANT TO MAKE SOME GENERAL COMMENTS AND SOME ENCOURAGEMENT.
BUT FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I SUPPORT THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
FOR ME, IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE IS BALANCE THERE, WHETHER THE WORDS ARE THERE OR NOT, THE BALANCE IS THERE, AND THE BALANCE COMES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, 2 OR 3 YEARS. AS AN ASTRONOMER WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYSICS OF PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES.
I HAVE NO UNCERTAINTY THAT WE ARE FOSTERING AN UNUSUAL CHANGE IN THE WORLD'S CLIMATE.
NOT ONLY AN UNUSUAL CHANGE, BUT AN UNNATURAL CHANGE.
AS A FLAGSTAFF CITIZEN OVER 55 YEARS.
I WILL NOT SEE THE WORST OF IT, BUT I DO WORRY ABOUT THE CHALLENGES YOU YOUNGER FOLKS.
AND ALMOST ALL OF YOU ARE YOUNGER FOLKS TO ME.
FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS, GETTING FOLKS TO RALLY AROUND PREPARATIONS FOR THE FUTURE.
IT'S MUCH HARDER THAN THE CHALLENGES OF RIGHT NOW.
THIS TAKES REAL LEADERSHIP, ESPECIALLY WHEN CONSIDERING WE ARE JUST A TINY PART OF THE PROBLEM.
THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T PREPARE FOR THE IMMEDIATE CHALLENGES.
AND TO ME, AGAIN WITH THE PRESENTATION AND WHAT I'VE OBSERVED, WE ARE DOING THAT.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE.
AND A SIDE TO THAT IS WHAT I'M SEEING IS WHAT YOU AND THE CITY ARE DOING ARE DRESSING IN THE BEST WAY THEY CAN, IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY IT CAN, THE THINGS THEY CAN CONTROL.
THEY CAN'T CONTROL WHAT THE FIRE SERVICE IS DOING.
THEY CAN INFLUENCE, BUT THEY CAN'T CONTROL IT.
AND SO THAT, I THINK, IS ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THIS PLAN.
IT'S DOING AS EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE, ADDRESSING THE THINGS THEY CAN CONTROL.
AND CONSERVATIVE ARIZONA, THE CITY COUNCIL.
FLAGSTAFF WILL DIE. THE TOURISM WILL GO AWAY.
NOT ONLY DID THAT NOT HAPPEN, BUT WITHIN A FEW FEW YEARS, ALL OF THE MRS, MR. MRS ALL OF THE CITIES IN FLAGSTAFF FOLLOWED SUIT.
SO I'M JUST ENCOURAGING YOU TO BE LEADERS.
THANK YOU. MAYBE OTHERS WILL FOLLOW SUIT.
THANK YOU. SORRY FOR GOING OVER.
LYNN, AND MY APOLOGIES AND PLEASE CORRECT MY PRONUNCIATION.
[02:25:02]
JUST A COUPLE.WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK AFTER THIS.
RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
ALLOW ME TIME TO SPEAK TODAY, AND SO I.
YOU'RE VERY CLOSE WHAT YOU SAY.
I LIVED FLAGSTAFF FOR 30 YEARS.
AND SO I'D LIKE TODAY I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT ON THE WILDFIRE, DROUGHT AND FLOODS THAT WAS PRESENTED BY FLAGSTAFF FIRST IN LAST YEAR'S COUNCIL MEETING.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? SO THIS IS THE TRIANGLE THAT WAS THAT WAS PRESENTED.
OH, DO YOU WANT ME TO HOLD IT? YEAH. OKAY.
OKAY, SO BASICALLY STARTED WITH FIRE.
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT'S THE REASONING.
ON HOW THE THESE THREE DISASTER RELATED.
SO BUT WHAT WHAT'S MISSING IN THIS DIAGRAM IS THE, THE BIGGEST PICTURE OF THE PROBLEM THAT WAS SO THAT IS IT'S A CLIMATE WARMING.
SO THIS ONE, THE CLIMATE WARMING IS CAUSED BY.
KEVIN BOULTON AND CAUSED THE GLOBAL WARMING.
AND THAT'S THE ROOT CAUSE OF WILDFIRES AND SUBSEQUENT FLOODING AND DROUGHT.
THE DROUGHT IS ALSO CAUSED BY THE WARMING CLIMATE.
SO MANY STUDIES HAVE POINTED OUT THIS ROOT CAUSE OF THE WILDFIRE, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHWEST.
SO I HAVE I'VE READ SEVERAL DOCUMENTS, SEVERAL RESEARCH, AND THIS IS DONE BY OUR OWN SCHOOL FORESTRY RESEARCHERS AND WITH VERY, VERY WELL CITED SCIENTIFIC PAPER.
AND THEN WHAT IS STATED THAT IT'S VERY CHILLING.
SO THIS STUDY WHAT THEY DID A STUDY, THEY COLLECT 30 YEAR WILDFIRE DATA AND IT WAS 11.
THIS IS ALL IN THE ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO SOUTHWEST AND 1139 INDIVIDUAL FIRES.
SO THEIR CONCLUSION IS IN STARTING 1984, THE WILDFIRE HAD BURNED 6.5 MILLION ACRES OF FOREST AND JUST IN SOUTHWEST.
AND THE ESPECIALLY CHILLING IS THAT THIS ANNUAL INCREASE OF SEVERITY AND THE AREA THE AREA BURNED SEVERITY IS 17 POINT PERCENT ANNUALLY.
EVERY BURN IS NINE POINT 9.5% ANNUAL.
SO ANYWAY, CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN DECREASE CARBON DIOXIDE.
AND WE HAVE OUR GOOD COUNTY AND THE AND FOREST SERVICE IS WORKING ON FOREST RESTORATION.
COULD YOU SEND US A LINK TO THE RESEARCH THAT YOU REFERENCED? YES, I'M HAPPY TO.
SORRY. EMILY DAVALOS AND THEN JIM PARKS.
HELLO, I AM DOCTOR EMILY DAVALOS AND I AM SPEAKING AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND ONLY REPRESENT MYSELF.
I DO NOT SUPPORT AMENDING THE CNP.
I SUPPORT THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH THEIR PRESENTATION.
I ALSO SUPPORT FRIENDS OF FLAGSTAFF'S FUTURES POSITION.
I WILL MOSTLY QUOTE THEIR POINTS.
IF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN WERE TO BE AMENDED, THERE WOULD BE.
THERE WOULD NO LONGER BE FUNDS OR PERSONNEL TO WORK ON THE CARBON NEUTRALITY WITHIN FLAGSTAFF.
INSTEAD, ALL RESOURCES WOULD BE DIVERTED TO DUPLICATIVE EFFORTS RELATED TO FIRE, FLOOD, AND DROUGHT.
[02:30:02]
AS WE HEARD, THERE ARE 15 LOCAL PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES AT THE CITY AND MORE AT COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS ADDRESSING FIRE, FLOOD, AND DROUGHT.DURING THE STAFF PRESENTATION, WE HEARD IT'S THE ONLY PLAN THAT FOCUSES ON MITIGATION.
IF COMMUNITIES SUCH AS FLAGSTAFF FALTER AND WITHDRAW FROM THESE EFFORTS, WE ARE SENDING A MESSAGE THAT THESE EFFORTS ARE UNACHIEVABLE AND CONTINUED ELEVATED CARBON EMISSIONS WILL BE A CERTAINTY. IT IS TRUE THAT NO SINGLE COMMUNITY CAN SOLVE THIS ALONE, BUT IT WILL ONLY BE SOLVED IF MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES STEP UP AS FLAGSTAFF HAS.
PLEASE BASE YOUR DECISION ON EXPERTISE INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUALIZED EMOTIONS AND FEARS.
THERE'S NOTHING TO PUT BACK IN PLACE AS BEEN AS HAS BEEN ADVOCATED FOR.
OPINIONS AND NOT THINGS BASED IN FACT AND SCIENCE.
YOU'VE HEARD FROM MANY EXPERTS TONIGHT.
JIM PARKS AND THEN SARAH WILLS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
JIM. ADAM, WHERE DID ADAM GO? ANYWAY I AM HERE BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO PLEASE SUPPORT THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT.
BACK INTO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
SOME OF YOU KNOW, FOR FOUR YEARS I DEALT WITH THE FIRES.
I DEALT WITH THE FLOODS, THE MUSEUM FIRE, THE FLOODING FROM THAT THE TUNNEL FIRE AND THE THE OTHERS.
THERE WERE OTHERS IN BLUE RIDGE AND WINONA.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FLOODING IN THOSE, BUT WE HAD PLENTY OF FIRE.
WE LOST 30, 30 STRUCTURES IN BLUE RIDGE.
AND WINONA IS A PRETTY SMALL PLACE TO LOSE THE STRUCTURE IN.
THE FACT THAT THAT I DEALT WITH ALL THESE THINGS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE, HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AT THAT TIME WAS VERY INTERESTED IN MITIGATION, FIRE AND FLOOD MITIGATION.
THEY SPENT $12 MILLION OUT THERE IN TIMBERLINE AREA ON FLOOD MITIGATION AFTER THE SCHULTZ FIRE.
THE REASON THAT THAT A LOT OF THE FOLKS HERE ARE KIND OF OFF BASE WITH THEIR THOUGHT THAT THE REINSTATEMENT OF THIS, THIS AMENDMENT INTO THE CNC.
IS UNFOUNDED BECAUSE WHEN A FIRE HAPPENS, YOU WANT ALL HANDS ON DECK.
YOU WANT ALL EVERYBODY THERE TO HELP OUT.
I'VE EVACUATED PEOPLE OUT OF BLUE RIDGE.
I'VE STOOD OUT THERE DURING THE FIRE.
I HAVE BEEN ON A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT DURING THE FLOODING FROM THE MUSEUM AND TUNNEL FIRES OUT THERE IN TIMBERLINE, TRYING TO SHUNT WATER AWAY FROM THE HOMES OF MY FRIENDS.
YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE WATER.
VICE MAYOR DAGGETT. YOU CAN DECLARE THIS A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL BRING MONEY TO YOUR TOWN, YOUR COUNTY, TO MITIGATE YOUR PROBLEM. AND SO IN CLOSING, GOOD TO SEE YOU, JIM.
SARAH WILKES AND THEN JOHN FAVARA.
SEE? GOOD AFTERNOON OR GOOD EVENING.
MAYOR. DAGGETT, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HEARING MY COMMENTS.
[02:35:02]
MY NAME IS SARAH WILLS AND I AM A NEWCOMER TO FLAGSTAFF.I'VE ONLY LIVED HERE FOR 36 YEARS.
AND ALTHOUGH THAT'S ALMOST HALF OF MY LIFETIME, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, WE HAVE TO THINK BEYOND OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. WE MUST MAKE DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF GENERATIONS THAT AREN'T EVEN BORN YET.
RATHER THAN JUST OUR TIME HERE.
I THINK PLANNING FOR THE NEEDS OF THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS IS A GOOD PLACE TO START.
SO WHEN I, EXCUSE ME, EVALUATE IDEAS FOR TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE, I ASK MYSELF, DO THESE IDEAS RECOGNIZE THE URGENCY OF THE SITUATION? AND DO THEY PLAN FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS? FLAGSTAFF FIRST PROPOSAL DOES NEITHER.
IT LACKS URGENCY BECAUSE IT ARGUES THAT WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL CHINA AND INDIA, AND I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE, DO MORE TO REDUCE CARBON SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE, IF EVER.
BUT IT DOESN'T FOCUS ON THE CAUSE, WHICH IS THE INCREASING CONCENTRATIONS OF CARBON IN THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE, WHICH WILL MAKE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS IF IT'S NOT REDUCED NOW.
AND WHILE IT RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SYMPTOMS LIKE FIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND EFFORTS ARE FUNDED TO DEAL WITH.
I SALUTE THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF FOR TAKING THE URGENCY OF CLIMATE CHANGE SERIOUSLY, AND WORKING TO PROTECT GENERATIONS WHO MAY BE HERE LONG AFTER MY LIFE HAS ENDED.
PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBERS REJECT THE PROPOSAL TO FOCUS ON SYMPTOMS, NOT CAUSES.
FLAGSTAFF CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IN ITS CURRENT FORM AS A THOUGHTFUL, APPROPRIATE PLAN THAT UPHOLDS OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO WORK FOR THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN TRACY AND THEN MERLE HENDERSON.
OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M A CLIMATE SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT NIU.
WHEN THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST GROUP STOOD UP.
DID YOU NOTICE SOMETHING? SOMETHING MAY BE RELATED, I DON'T KNOW TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE DEMOGRAPHIC.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT AMONGST THE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE NEUTRALITY PLAN AS IS, AND FOR FLAGSTAFF SETTING AN EXAMPLE IN THAT REGARD, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, THEIR VOICES WILL BE WHAT DRIVES POLICY GOING FORWARD, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY.
I WAS IN THE EVACUATION ZONE FOR THE RAFAEL FIRE.
ADAPTATION MEASURES WEREN'T REMOVED FROM THE CAP FOR SOME SINISTER OR NEFARIOUS REASON.
HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING VERY CLEARLY.
MOST OF THE FIRES ARE HUMAN CAUSED AND OUR FORESTS ARE DYING.
WE ARE WELL PAST MANY TIPPING POINTS.
OUR PONDEROSA PINES ARE DYING OFF, BEING REPLACED BY JUNIPERS AND DROUGHT TOLERANT SPECIES.
EVERY YEAR WE LOSE MILLIONS OF ACRES OF PONDEROSAS ON THE MARGINS DUE TO THE HIGHER TEMPERATURES.
THIS IS BECAUSE OF OUR INCREASING TEMPERATURES.
[02:40:02]
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE FIRES BECAUSE OUR FORESTS ARE DYING, BECAUSE IT'S TOO HOT, BECAUSE WE'RE IN A MEGADROUGHT BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE.THIS NEXT SENTENCE IS HARD TO SAY IN SOME WAYS.
AND I REALLY HATE SAYING THESE GLOOMY THINGS BECAUSE I LOVE OUR BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
BUT THIS IS THE FUTURE WE'VE BUILT FOR OURSELVES.
WITH 100 YEARS OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, WE CAN'T ALWAYS ENGINEER OUR WAY OUT OF THESE THINGS.
NOW, WORKING ON DIRECT EMISSIONS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO NOW.
IT'S ACTUAL MATH WE CAN CALCULATE, AND IT'S AN EQUATION WE CAN WORK TO BALANCE.
BUT WORKING ON OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND MATH IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO.
NOW, I TRUST THESE VERY SMART PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE TELLING US TO KEEP THE NEUTRALITY PLAN AS IS.
THANK YOU. FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M FROM THE COASTLINES OF THE HURON RIVER.
I'M FROM THE COAST LINES OF THE HURON RIVER.
SAINT LAKE, SAINT CLAIR AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED FLOODING WITH NO DOUBT.
POSITIONS. AND THE REASON WHY IS, FIRST OF ALL.
FIRE OF THE THREE ENTITIES THAT WERE SPEAKING ABOUT.
TWO OF THESE CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY.
ONE IS IMPOSED ON THE COMMUNITY.
AND I WANT TO SUPPORT THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING NOW IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE WILL HANDLE OUR POSITIONS IN THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AS TIME GOES ON.
THE REASON WHY I SAY THIS IS BECAUSE THIS IS OUR CURRENT EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE LOSING PROPERTY VALUES.
TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ARISING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND NOT SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN IMPOSED ON THE COMMUNITY.
I APPRECIATE YOU STICKING AROUND AND LETTING US ALL SPEAK.
I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF FLAGSTAFF OFF AND ON SINCE THE EARLY 1990S.
I DID GRADUATE FROM NYU, AND I I'VE.
IT'S BEEN INTERESTING TO LISTEN TO EVERYONE'S POSITIONS.
I THINK THAT THE WAY THAT IT HAS BEEN FRAMED, THAT FLAGSTAFF VERSUS STANDING TO PLAY KIND OF A WHACK A MOLE GAME OF REACTIONARY BEHAVIOR IS REALLY MISSING THE POINT.
AND I WANT TO SHARE JUST A PIECE THAT I HAD ACTUALLY EMAILED YESTERDAY, BUT I KNOW YOU'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF MATERIAL RELATIVE TO THIS TOPIC, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO GET THIS. ACCORDING TO THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD, WILDFIRES PRODUCE APPROXIMATELY 27.3 TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE PER ACRE.
FLAGSTAFF AREA WILDFIRES, INCLUDING THE SCHULTZ FIRE MUSEUM FIRE TUNNEL FIRE, HAYWIRE FIRE, AND PIPELINE FIRE DESTROYED 67,942 ACRES OF FOREST.
USING THE CALIFORNIA DATA AS AN ESTIMATE, WE KNOW THAT 1,854,817 TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE WERE PRODUCED BY THESE FIRES, ACCORDING TO FLAGSTAFF'S CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, THE CITY'S 2019 ESTIMATE, CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCTION WAS 880,000 TONS.
COMPARING THOSE NUMBERS, WE SEE THAT THE CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCED BY THE NORTHERN ARIZONA FIRES WAS MORE THAN TWICE FLAGSTAFF'S TOTAL 2019 CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS.
[02:45:09]
ACRE PER YEAR.HAD THE NORTHERN ARIZONA FIRES BEEN PREVENTED OR QUICKLY SUPPRESSED, NEARLY 2 MILLION TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS WOULD NOT HAVE ENTERED THE ATMOSPHERE. INSTEAD, 76,774 TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE WOULD HAVE BEEN SEQUESTERED EACH YEAR FOR A TOTAL SAVINGS OF WELL OVER 2 MILLION TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE.
GLOBALLY, WILDFIRES ARE CHANGING THE CLIMATE, EMITTING AROUND 5.3 BILLION TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE TO THE ATMOSPHERE IN 2022 ALONE, MORE THAN ANY COUNTRY CONTRIBUTED FROM FOSSIL FUEL BURNING THAT YEAR EXCEPT FOR CHINA.
CLEARLY, THE MOST EFFECTIVE ACTION YOU CAN TAKE TO ACHIEVE CARBON NEUTRALITY IN FLAGSTAFF IS TO MAKE WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT A TOP PRIORITY IN THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN SO THAT COMPREHENSIVE AND COORDINATED INTERDEPARTMENTAL AND INTERAGENCY ACTION CAN REALLY GET GOING.
NOW LET'S TAKE ONLINE COMMENT.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MAYOR AND COUNCIL I HAVE HARMONY GREEN HARMONY.
YOU MAY GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
HELLO, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS HARMONY GREEN AND YES, THAT IS MY REAL NAME.
I AM A CONCERNED EARTH CITIZEN AND I HAVE ONLY LIVED IN FLAGSTAFF FOR THREE YEARS.
BUT I DO FEEL VERY CONNECTED TO FLAGSTAFF AND I LOVE AND CARE FOR MY CITY.
IT'S JUST SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PLACE TO LIVE.
I AM HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
WE HAVE HEARD THE PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
AND AS WE KNOW, THE CNP IS ABOUT CARBON NEUTRALITY AND IT MUST STAY THIS WAY.
EVERY BIT OF REDUCTION IN EMISSIONS MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
WE IN FLAGSTAFF HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A CITY OF CHANGE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR PLANET, AND TO EDUCATE OTHERS IN OUR FORWARD MOVEMENT TOWARD CARBON NEUTRALITY. WE CAN BE FRONT RUNNERS IN THIS QUEST TO CARE FOR AND HEAL OUR AILING PLANET.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE A HEALTHY EARTH FOR ALL FUTURE LIFE, AND THE CNP IN ITS CURRENT FORM IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO BRING ABOUT THESE IMPORTANT LIFE SAVING CHANGES.
AND AGAIN, I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE CNP IN ITS CURRENT FORM FOR OURSELVES, OUR FAMILIES, OUR ECOSYSTEMS AND ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A SHORT TEN MINUTE BREAK.
BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PROVIDED COMMENT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY IS HOW ENGAGED EVERYONE IS.
SO WE WILL BE BACK IN TEN MINUTES.
6:00. WE ARE READY TO GET STARTED AGAIN.
DYLAN'S HERE. OKAY, I JUST SEE THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.
SUSTAINABILITY. AND DYLAN, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL AND INTER-AGENCY WORK THAT GOES INTO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT.
NOT ON. THERE WE GO. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS DYLAN GUFFEY. I'M THE WILDLAND FIRE OPERATIONS CAPTAIN WITH THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF.
SO JUST TO SPEAK TO SOME OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH INTERNALLY WITHIN THE CITY, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH PROSE, SUSTAINABILITY AND WATER SERVICES AND ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING, WHETHER THAT BE SELECTIVE THINNING, PRESCRIBED FIRE OR ANY OF THE WATERSHED PROTECTION PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING EXTERNALLY.
WE WORK WITH THE USDA FOREST SERVICE, THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND FORESTRY MANAGEMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ADJACENT FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND DISTRICTS.
[02:50:01]
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION INSTITUTE AS WELL AS THE GREATER FLAGSTAFF FOREST PARTNERSHIP, WHICH WERE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THEM WITH A LOT OF THE TREE SETTING PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING. AND THEN THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERS THE PARTNERS THAT I'M WORKING CLOSELY WITH ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS.AND WHAT'S YOUR ROLE AT THE CITY? AT THE CITY.
SO I RUN THE WILDLAND FIRE CREW THAT IS BASED OUT OF STATION TEN AT THE AIRPORT.
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION AND FUELS MANAGEMENT WITHIN CITY LIMITS.
AND HOW MANY? HOW MANY ARE ON THE WILDLAND FIRE CREW? SO WITH MY GROUP, I SUPERVISE FOUR FIREFIGHTERS.
SO THERE'S A TOTAL OF FIVE OF US WORKING IN WILDLAND FIRE.
THE OPERATIONS SIDE WITHIN THE PROGRAM, WE HAVE NEIL CHAPMAN, WHO'S THE FOREST HEALTH SUPERVISOR WHO DEALS A LOT WITH OUR GRANTS AND THE FOREST HEALTH SIDE OF THINGS. AND THEN WE HAVE MARK ADAMS, WHO IS THERE AS THE PUBLIC RELATIONS LIKE SPECIALIST, FIREWISE SPECIALIST. SO HE'S THE ONE THAT WORKS REALLY CLOSELY WITH ALL THE HOMEOWNERS THAT'S GOING OUT DOING THE PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND THEN WE HAVE YOU KNOW, OUR BATTALION CHIEFS AND DEPUTY CHIEFS FROM THAT LEVEL UP ARE ALL FIREFIGHTERS TRAINED IN WILDLAND FIRE. SO ALL CITY OF FLAGSTAFF FIRE PERSONNEL ARE TRAINED TO RESPOND TO WILDLAND FIRES.
SO THAT'S OUTSIDE OF WHAT THEIR NORMAL QUALIFICATIONS ARE IN ORDER TO BE STRUCTURE FIREFIGHTERS.
BUT ALL FIREFIGHTERS IN THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF ARE QUALIFIED TO RESPOND TO WILDLAND FIRE.
ARE THOSE WHO ARE WITH SUMMIT OR THE SURROUNDING COMPANIES.
ARE THEY ALSO TRAINED? YES. SO WITH SUMMIT AS THE JOINT AUTHORITY THAT WE HAVE WITH SUMMIT, THEY FALL UNDER THE SAME REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
WHILE WE HAVE DYLAN AT THE MIC.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR DYLAN SPECIFICALLY FOR DYLAN? BECAUSE I ALSO HAVE QUESTIONS FOR SUSTAINABILITY STAFF.
ANYONE. ONLINE SPECIFICALLY FOR DYLAN.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK FOR RIGHT NOW.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT COME UP.
AND. NICOLE, CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS IT THAT WE WERE CHATTING ABOUT? OH, OKAY.
IN TERMS OF THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN STRATEGIES.
MY BRAIN IS THE BREAK WAS GOOD, BUT IT'S STILL.
AND I JUST WANT TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO DYLAN FOR STEPPING IN AGAIN.
PAUL OTAGI, NEIL CHAPMAN AND MARK ADAMS ARE ALL AT TRAININGS THIS WEEK, SO THANK YOU.
JENNY NYMAN, CLIMATE ACTION SECTION DIRECTOR.
AND SO I'M GOING TO GO FIRST TO THIS TIMELINE.
AND WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF CLIMATE PLANS IN A VERY SHORT TIME.
SO I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE CONFUSION.
IT IS NOT. IT IS PRIOR TO THIS TIMELINE, BUT THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF ADOPTED A CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN IN 2018. THIS PLAN WAS THE CITY'S FIRST CLIMATE PLAN.
WE WROTE THAT PLAN IN ABOUT A YEAR WITH, I THINK, ABOUT $5,000 OF CONSULTANT SUPPORT.
[02:55:07]
AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT QUICKLY.THE REASON IS REALLY BECAUSE OF THE VERY RAPID TIMELINE THAT WE WERE ON.
AND SO THAT FIRST CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN INCLUDED THE TARGET AREAS THAT YOU SEE IN WHITE HERE.
WE REALLY FOCUSED ON MITIGATION AT THAT TIME.
AND SO THAT WAS THE 2022 REVISION, WHERE WE PULLED IN THE ELEMENTS FROM THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN INTO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
WE DIDN'T WANT FOLKS TO HAVE TO LOOK AT TWO CLIMATE PLAN DOCUMENTS.
THAT'S TOO MANY, RIGHT? AND WE REALLY WANTED TO HAVE BOTH ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION IN THAT CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN DOCUMENT.
SO THAT WAS A PLANNED REVISION IN 2022.
TO DO THAT, WE WORKED WITH FOLKS IN WATER, IN FOREST, IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IN PROSE, ETC.
TO DO THAT REVISION TO REALLY UPDATE CONTENT AS NEEDED, BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE WE HAD DONE THAT, THERE HAD BEEN ADOPTED MANY PLANS THAT WERE SUPPORTING THE WORK OF, LET'S SAY, WATER OR THE WORK OF, LET'S SAY, FIRE WITHIN THAT TIMELINE.
AND SO WE BASICALLY SMUSHED THE TWO PLANS TOGETHER FOR THE LACK OF A BETTER WORD.
AND SO WE PULLED IN I'VE STARRED THEM HERE.
AND SO THOSE WERE ALL AGAIN FROM THE 2018 CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN.
AND THOSE ARE OUR ADAPTATION TARGET AREAS.
ADAPTATION IS MIXED ALL THROUGHOUT THIS PLAN.
AS NICOLE TALKED ABOUT, A LOT OF THINGS OVERLAP BETWEEN ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION.
RIGHT? BECAUSE I'M NOT NEEDING TO HEAT MY HOME AS MUCH, FOR INSTANCE.
SO THERE'S JUST A TON OF OVERLAP.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THIS ONE IN THE SPAN, I HAVE A MUCH UGLIER GRAPHIC JUST BECAUSE IT'S FUN.
BUT WE MADE THIS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO ENSURE FOLKS THAT THE ADAPTATION CONTENT FROM THE 2018 CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN IS IN THE 2022 CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
IT'S ALL KIND OF THE BASE OF ALL OF THIS WORK.
AND THEY ALL MOVED INTO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE COLORS HERE.
SO NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WENT OVER TO HEALTHY FORESTS AND OPEN SPACES.
WATER RESOURCES BECAME WATER SECURITY.
SO WE DID TRANSFER ALL OF THAT CONTENT FROM A STRATEGY AND A TARGET AREA PERSPECTIVE.
AND I WANTED TO BRING UP ONE BECAUSE I THINK IT IT SHOWS PRETTY WELL.
WE PULLED THE 2018 CONTENT INTO THE 2022 PLAN.
THERE ARE FIVE STRATEGIES UNDER NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE 2018 PLAN.
ALL FIVE OF THOSE STRATEGIES ARE IN THE 2022 CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
SO THEY ARE IN OUR CURRENT CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
THERE'S ONE ADDITION ABOUT FOREST HEALTH AND INNOVATION IN THAT SECTOR.
SO THAT WAS THE MAIN UPDATE WE DID.
I BELIEVE THERE'S A REVISION TO STRATEGY TWO TO MAKE IT.
STRONGER, BUT ALL OF THOSE STRATEGIES ARE STILL THERE.
AND SO THAT CONTENT FROM THE 2018 PLAN LIVES ON IN THE 2022 DOCUMENT.
AND THAT WAS THE MAIN REASON WHY WE DID THAT REVISION, WHICH WAS A PLANNED REVISION.
AND SO YOU SAID THAT NEIL WAS KIND OF INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THAT NEW BULLET POINT.
HOW CLOSELY DO YOU WORK WITH NEIL AND THE REST OF THE WILDLAND FIRE TEAM? SO WE WORK MOSTLY WITH NEIL AND MARK.
WE DON'T GET TO WORK WITH DYLAN BECAUSE HE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OPERATIONAL.
[03:00:01]
WE DON'T GET INTO THE WEEDS OF OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT IN WILDLAND, BUT WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH NEIL AND DYLAN AT THE MOMENT.WE'RE WORKING ON A TWO GRANTS TOGETHER.
AND SO WE TALK AT LEAST EVERY DAY.
YOU KNOW, ON A ON A NORMAL TIME, WE ALL TALK PROBABLY ONCE A WEEK.
THERE'S AN AMERICORPS CLIMATE CORPS WHO WORKS INCREDIBLY CLOSELY IN OUR OFFICE.
HE SITS OVER IN NEIL'S OFFICE.
WE WORK TOGETHER ON THE HEPA AIR FILTRATION PROGRAM, WHICH IS ACTUALLY WOULDN'T EVEN FALL HERE, BUT IT'S UNDER HEALTH AND SAFETY BECAUSE THAT ADAPTATION IS PART OF THIS CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
SO WE GET WE DISTRIBUTE AIR FILTERS TO FOLKS.
WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH NEIL'S TEAM ON THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO GO TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.
AND I APOLOGIZE, FOLKS, FOR NOT BEING THERE IN PERSON TONIGHT.
I SHARED WITH MAYOR WHY? BUT I WANTED TO JUST THANK THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPOKEN TONIGHT ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS FOR FOR SHARING YOUR PERSPECTIVES AND OPINIONS ON THIS AND EATING INTO THE CONVERSATION.
AND MAIER. I'LL THANK YOU FOR ASKING MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK, SO I DON'T HAVE TO, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REACHED OUT TO NICOLE AND JENNY ON EARLIER TODAY WAS JUST MAKING SURE THAT I HAD THE MOST RECENT VERSION OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AND COMPARING IT TO THE CAP FROM 2018.
AND SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU STARTED WITH THAT QUESTION.
AND, AND JENNY, THAT YOU HAD THAT SLIDE SHOWING HOW THOSE THINGS WERE PULLED OVER.
ONE ASKING FOR FIRE, FLOOD AND DROUGHT TO BE ADDED TO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
AND FROM THE OTHER SIDE CALLING TO NOT AMEND WHAT'S THERE.
I THINK THERE'S AN IMPORTANT NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT A, THERE ARE CALLS FOR REVISIONS AND ADAPTATIONS OVER TIME, BUILT INTO THE CMP.
AND THE FACT THAT, AGAIN, THESE THINGS THAT ARE BEING ASKED FOR ARE PRESENT.
I THINK THE BIG QUESTION THAT I STILL HAVE IS TRYING TO REALLY WRANGLE WHAT THE ASK IS OF THIS THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT BECAUSE WITH THE WAY THAT IT'S BEEN PRESENTED, SO MUCH OF OF WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR.
FROM ALL OF MY READING AND REVIEW OF BOTH DOCUMENTS.
THAT'S WHY I DON'T BLINK AN EYE AT AT READING 29 PAGES OF A REPORT THAT WAS SHARED TODAY, BECAUSE I READ OVER 200 PAGES OF CONTENT JUST THIS AFTERNOON TO TO TRY AND GET A BETTER GRASP ON WHERE WE ARE WITH ALL OF THIS AND SEEING HOW CLOSELY ALIGNED WE ARE ON WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR.
I REALLY AM LEANING TOWARDS THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION HERE IN TERMS OF OF BUILDING SOME OF THESE EXAMINATIONS INTO THE NEXT SCHEDULED CMP REVISION.
SO. TO FORMULATE ALL OF THIS, MAYBE INTO A QUESTION.
NICOLE, I SEE THAT YOU'RE STARTING TO STAND UP.
IF YOU COULD STAY THERE, ACTUALLY.
CAN YOU JUST ADDRESS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHAT THAT COMMUNICATION MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF, OF WHAT IS ALREADY BEING DONE? TO WORK TOWARDS FIRE, FLOOD AND, AND DROUGHT CONSIDERATIONS IN TERMS OF THE ACTIONS BEING PURSUED IN THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
ABSOLUTELY. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER HOUSE, THE FUNDED POSITION THROUGH THE GORDON AND BETTY MOORE FOUNDATION IS REALLY TARGETED TO FOCUS ON THAT INTERSECTION BETWEEN FIRE MANAGEMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMMUNITY ACTION.
[03:05:02]
OUR GOAL HERE IS TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ELEVATE THOSE COMMUNICATIONS INTO MORE OF AN EMPOWERMENT AND UNDERSTANDING SPACE TO IMPROVE.AND SO LET'S JUST USE AS AN EXAMPLE A PRESS RELEASE ON A PRESCRIBED FIRE OR MANAGED FIRE AND SHIFTING INTO A POSITION WHERE COMMUNICATION CAN COME OUT SIGNIFICANTLY EARLIER.
OUR GOAL HERE WITH OUR HEPA AIR FILTER PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE, IS TO REALLY HELP INFORM COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE VULNERABLE TO SMOKE, BE IT GOOD SMOKE AND OR SMOKE AS THE RESULT OF A FIRE THAT IS UNDERWAY UNCONTROLLED, IF YOU WILL.
I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE CORRECT TERMINOLOGY TO USE HERE.
AND TO SHIFT INTO A MORE PROACTIVE STANCE ABOUT ALL THE RESOURCES THAT EXIST IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP DIRECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TAKE ACTION AROUND THEIR PROPERTY.
AND MY MY LAST QUESTION IS JUST IN TERMS OF THE INFORMATION ON FIRE IN PARTICULAR THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE CNP.
I, I NOTICED THE GRAPHIC THAT IS TALKING ABOUT THE NEED TO MOVE FROM THE CONCEPT OF FIRE SEASON TO FIRE YEAR AND MORE OF THE DISCUSSION ON, YOU KNOW, FIRE WISE AND FIRE SAFE COMMUNITIES.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOME OF THE PLANS COMING FROM WILDLAND? GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBER SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I THINK THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AS FAR AS MOVING FROM A FIRE SEASON TO A FIRE YEAR, THAT'S IT'S NOT A VERY NEW IDEA, BUT IT'S BECOMING MORE PROMINENT, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHERN REGIONS, WHERE USED TO REALLY AFFECT THE SOUTHERN REGIONS, THE DESERT LANDSCAPES, THAT TYPE OF FUEL MODELS DOWN THERE.
SO WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH THE BUILDING CODES OR ORDINANCES THAT ARE IN PLACE OR BEING PUT IN PLACE.
THAT'S ONE WAY THAT WE'RE ACHIEVING THAT.
WE'RE ACHIEVING IT THROUGH OUR OUTREACH PROGRAM WITH SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE GRANT SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR HOMEOWNERS TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR GRANTS TO GET REIMBURSED FOR SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO TO CLEAR VEGETATION AND HAZARDOUS FUELS FROM AROUND THEIR PROPERTIES.
SOME OF THE I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT ELSE WE'RE.
WHAT ELSE WE HAVE GOING ON BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH I THINK AS FAR AS THE YEAR ROUND FIRE SEASON HERE, IT'S NOT AS MUCH OF A CONCERN. BUT WHAT WE DO SEE, AND IT WAS EVIDENT IN THE TUNNEL FIRES AND PIPELINE AS AN EARLIER ONSET OF FIRE SEASON RELATED TO DROUGHT.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THE SNOWPACK, WE DON'T HAVE A WET SPRING, ESPECIALLY A WINDY SPRING.
THEN OUR FIRE SEASON CAN START MUCH SOONER IN THE YEAR THAN WHAT IS HISTORICALLY NORMAL.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE AN EXTENDED FIRE SEASON PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF MONSOONS.
AND THE SAME THING CAN HAPPEN IN THE FALL.
IF IT'S A DELAYED WINTER EVENT THAT DOESN'T COME IN UNTIL LATE DECEMBER, WHERE HISTORICALLY, THAT FIRE SEASON MIGHT HAVE SHUT DOWN IN OCTOBER TO NOVEMBER OR NOT HAVE GOTTEN GOING UNTIL MAY OR APRIL OR APRIL OR MAY.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE.
HOW ARE WE STAFFING IN ORDER TO RESPOND AND HELP EACH OTHER IN THE EVENT THAT THOSE FIRES DO START PRIOR TO BEING READY FOR THE ACTUAL FIRE SEASON? THAT'S IT. EVERYONE CLOSE YOUR EYES BECAUSE I'M GOING TO FLY THROUGH.
YEAH, THAT MAKES ME NAUSEATED.
[03:10:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER HOUSE.DID THAT ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS? IT DID. THANK YOU. MAYOR.
YEAH. SO JUST A QUICK QUESTION BEFORE WE GET INTO DISCUSSION.
SO THE I'M ON THE FLAGSTAFF FIRST WEBSITE AND THE FRONT PAGE SAYS THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN ENVISIONS SPENDING $600 MILLION IN A FUTILE EFFORT TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF GLOBAL WARMING.
I THINK THERE'S SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS AROUND IT.
YOU KNOW, OUR ENTIRE CITY BUDGET PER YEAR, THE LAST ANNUAL REPORT WE HAVE DOWN HAS OUR ENTIRE CITY BUDGET LISTED AT $540 MILLION.
I KNOW THAT THE CMP BASELINE BUDGET PER YEAR IS AROUND $50,000 RIGHT NOW.
SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHERE THE $600 MILLION NUMBER IS COMING FROM? ABSOLUTELY. MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO VICE MAYOR, YOU ARE CORRECT.
THE CLIMATE SECTION BASE BUDGET IS JUST UNDER $51,000 A YEAR.
AND SO JUST FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THE BASE BUDGET IS THAT RECURRING BUDGET.
SO FOR THIS YEAR OUR BUDGET IS 1.6 MILLION.
BUT AGAIN, OUR ONGOING BUDGET IS JUST UNDER 51,000.
THE $600 MILLION ESTIMATE WAS WE WERE IT'S NOT TYPICAL STANDARD PRACTICE. I DON'T THINK, FOR MANY PLANS TO COME FORWARD WITH A PRICE TAG.
AND WE DID DO THAT WITH THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
WE WANTED TO LOOK AT WHAT THIS INVESTMENT WOULD BE AND LOOKING AT COMMUNITY WIDE NEEDS.
AND THAT FOCUS ON MITIGATION CAME WITH A $600 MILLION PRICE TAG.
AND WE DID THAT SO WE COULD FOCUS TOTAL OVER THE LIFETIME OF THE CMP.
TO GET US TO CARBON NEUTRALITY.
HMM'HMM. AND SO WE DID THAT SO WE COULD HELP PRIORITIZE WHERE FUNDING WAS GOING, PURSUE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND SO FORTH. WHAT THAT PRICE TAG AND AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE SOME OF THE CONFUSION COMES, IS THAT WHEN THE CITY ADOPTS A PLAN, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY ADOPT THE PRICE TAG FOR IT.
AND SO WE WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR AND UPFRONT WITH THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AND HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT SAT ON THIS ON THE DAIS AT THE TIME, THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.
THE SO I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE ROOT OF THE CONFUSION IS THAT WE DID COME FORWARD.
AND PLEASE ANYONE JUMP IN IF I'M INCORRECT.
SO I THINK THAT THAT LENT TO SOME CONFUSION.
AGAIN, WE WANTED TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THE WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT PRICE TAG ARE THE CO-BENEFITS OR THE AVOIDED COSTS, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE COUNCIL. I HAVE TO DIVE BACK INTO SOME PRETTY IN DEPTH SPREADSHEETS AND ANALYZES TO PROVIDE THAT.
WITH THAT IN MIND, THOUGH, THERE ARE.
AVOIDED COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLAN.
THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER ELEMENT, WHICH IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE DO MAKE THE NEXT REVISION TO INCORPORATE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO ARE TAKING ACTION, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE THAT PRICE TAG AS WELL.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO USE NOISE AS AN EXAMPLE OF THEIR COMMITMENT THAT'S GOING TO REDEFINE SOME THINGS IN TERMS OF OUTCOME, WHICH IS WHY THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN WAS WRITTEN AND IT STILL IS A LIVING DOCUMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE MOVING THE NEEDLE IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS, AND SO WE INTENTIONALLY SET OURSELVES UP TO HAVE A LIVING DOCUMENT RATHER THAN A STATIC PLAN.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT CAN LEND TO CONFUSION AND JUST FRUSTRATION AND HOW THAT'S INTERPRETED.
[03:15:01]
SO THANK YOU.I HAVE SEVERAL TIMES REARRANGED MY NOTES, SO I HOPE I DON'T MISS ANYTHING.
THIS ONE'S ACTUALLY FOR STACEY.
WHY IS THIS AGENDA ITEM ON A WORK SESSION AND NOT ON A COUNCIL MEETING? COUNCIL MEMBER I BELIEVE AT THIS POINT WE WANTED TO PRESENT INFORMATION A POSSIBLE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, AND SEEK SOME DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL THAT SHOULD COUNCIL WISH TO MAKE THESE REVISIONS AS REQUESTED BY THE PETITION, THAT WE COULD THEN INCORPORATE THOSE WITH A PLAN TO COME FORWARD FOR ADOPTION. WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING TONIGHT SEEKING AN OFFICIAL VOTE, BECAUSE IF THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL DECIDED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD, WE DIDN'T WANT TO INVEST ALL OF THAT STAFF TIME PREPARATION, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, ALL THE THINGS THAT GO INTO CHANGING THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN UNTIL WE HAD A GOOD DIRECTION GIVEN BY COUNCIL.
MAYBE. NICOLE, I THINK YOU SAID IT.
I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION ON YOU.
SAID WHEN YOU GUYS WERE WORKING ON THE PLAN, THE LAST REVISION WAS JENNY.
SO CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? SURE. SO I WAS SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO THE STRATEGY.
WHERE IS IT FOR HEALTHY FIRST FOR US FOR THAT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT INNOVATION IN THE FOREST PRODUCT SECTOR IN THE FIRST CLIMATE PLAN, THE 2018 PLAN.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THIS IS A BRAND NEW STRATEGY HERE.
WHY WAS IT SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE IT IN THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN? YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WHEN LOOKING AT WHAT WAS IN THE 2018 PLAN AND THEN LOOKING AT WHAT IS IN THE 2022 PLAN NEIL SAW A GAP AND SAID, WE THINK WE CAN FILL THIS.
THIS WAS PART AGAIN OF THAT PLANNED REVISION THAT THE BOOK WAS OPEN.
RIGHT. AND SO I THINK HE SAID THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO GIVE BETTER SUPPORT FOR THE MARKET, WHICH HAS BEEN A DECADES LONG GAP FOR GETTING FOREST TREATMENTS DONE. DYLAN.
EVEN BETTER. I TOLD YOU I'D HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
AND PART OF THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IS GETTING RID OF IT.
REALLY, THE ONLY OPTION AT SOME POINTS IS TO BURN IT WHERE IT IS PILOT AND BURN IT.
BUT THERE IS A BIOMASS FACILITY OUTSIDE OF TOWN THAT IS WILLING TO TAKE THIS BIOMASS.
AND SO WHAT THIS HELPED TO DO WAS FACILITATE A WAY FOR US TO WORK WITH THEM IN ORDER TO HAVE THEM COME REMOVE IT OUT OF THE FOREST, TAKE IT TO THEIR FACILITY, USE IT TO TO BURN, TO CREATE ENERGY THAT THEN GOES OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING NORTHERN ARIZONA.
YEAH, I'VE HEARD OF THAT COMPANY AND THAT'S WONDERFUL.
THAT'S CORRECT. AND IF I MAY JUST MAKE ANOTHER SHAMELESS PLUG FOR OUR EPA GRANT, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO DO IN THAT SPACE IS TO TO TRY TO IDENTIFY FUNDING, TO GET SOME OF THAT LIABILITY BIOMASS OUT OF THE FOREST AND REDUCE RISKS AND CREATE THAT END MARKET.
SO, NICOLE I'VE HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTS, A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT AND COUNCIL MEMBER HOUSE ALSO KIND OF MADE MENTION TO, WELL, SOME OF THE STUFF IS ALREADY IN THE PLAN AND THERE'S WHAT, 137 PAGES IN THE PLAN? I'VE READ IT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
AND I THINK WHEN I READ THE PETITION, THEY'RE NOT WANTING IT JUST IN THE BODY AND THE NARRATIVE, BUT ACTUALLY AS A PRIORITY BECAUSE OF WHAT? WHY? NEIL JUST ASKED FOR CERTAIN THINGS IN THE PRIORITIES AS IT HELPS ADVANCE.
EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE A LOT OF GRANTS GOING AROUND, IT JUST HELPS THE CAUSE.
RIGHT. SO IN YOUR OPINION PUTTING FIRE, WILDFIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT, DROUGHT ADAPTATION, DOES THAT TAKE FUNDING AWAY FROM WHAT WE'RE ALREADY ALL THE GOOD WORK WE'RE DOING IN OUR REDUCING CARBON
[03:20:04]
EMISSIONS? LET ME THINK HOW TO RESPOND TO THAT QUESTION.I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GOING TO JUST GO BACK AND I APOLOGIZE.
I KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH WITH THE SLIDE DECK, BUT I'M HOPING THAT IT'S HELPFUL.
THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, AGAIN, IS THE ONLY PLAN THAT WE FOCUS ON MITIGATION.
OUR BUDGET AND OUR REACH REALLY STAYS WITHIN THAT CONTEXT OF THE MITIGATION WORK.
I DON'T THINK I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, THOUGH, BY CAN YOU REPEAT IT? I WAS ASKING IF.
WE WERE TO ADD LANGUAGE IN THE PRIORITIES WE ALREADY HAVE.
FOREST HEALTH. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THAT SLIDE WHERE YOU HAVE THIS ONE, NO, WITH THE COLUMNS WHERE YOU HAVE THE FOUR PRIORITIES AND WHAT'S IN EACH PRIORITY RIGHT THERE.
GOTCHA. SO WE HAVE ADDED THROUGH THE ADAPTATION DOCUMENT, HEALTHY FOREST AND OPEN SPACE AND HOW I READ THE PETITION WAS THEY JUST WANTED IN THE, YOU KNOW, DEVIL IN THE DETAILS UNDER THAT SECTION THAT IT ACTUALLY SPECIFIES THE THE FLOOD AND WILDFIRE AND DROUGHT MITIGATION ADAPTATION EFFORTS.
IF, IF YOU WERE TO DO THAT IN THE NEXT REVISION.
RIGHT. IF YOU ADD THOSE WORDS TO THE PRIORITY, DOES THAT TAKE AWAY ANY FUNDING FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE CARBON EMISSION REDUCTION? THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING.
I APPRECIATE THAT. IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY.
WITH THAT IN MIND, I THINK PART OF THE CHALLENGE AND THIS IS THROUGH MY PERSPECTIVE, IS WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY DECLARATION AND THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT HELPED US IDENTIFY THE CORE GOALS OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
THE. TO GET TO CARBON NEUTRALITY, WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE MITIGATION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
AND SO THESE ARE OUR FOCUS WHERE THE COUNCIL DIRECTS THEIR FUNDING IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
AND AGAIN, AS YOU HEARD PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE VERY LIMITED FUNDING.
WE ALSO HAVE VERY LIMITED STAFF.
AND TO BE THE MANAGER, THE OVERSIGHT OF THIS PLAN REALLY REDEFINES HOW THESE PLANS ARE EXECUTED.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO BE REALLY SENSITIVE TO THAT WITH WITHIN THAT CONTEXT.
DOES THAT MEAN IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, THAT ONE THING WILL GET FUNDED OVER ANOTHER? THAT'S GOING TO BE THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTIVE DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO. WITH FOREST HEALTH, AND OUR PONDEROSA PINE FOREST IS THE LARGEST CARBON SINK IN THE US.
CORRECT? I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I HAVEN'T HEARD, I HAVEN'T HEARD GOOGLE SAID IT WAS.
SO I BELIEVE EVERYTHING WAS ON IN GOOGLE.
I ONLY HEARD THAT BLIND FAITH.
IT IT'S A SIGNIFICANT CARBON SINK, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE AN OCEAN HERE.
SO WE GOT TO RELY ON OUR FORESTS.
SO IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO TO ABSORB THE CARBON EMISSIONS.
BUT ONE OF THE SPEAKERS REMINDED US OF THAT HUGE NUMBER, WHICH TAKES ME BACK TO WHAT CALIFORNIA'S, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCED WHICH IS JUST DEVASTATING AND VERY SAD.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL FOREST OUT THERE.
MY ONLY OTHER COMMENTS WERE JUST AND THESE ARE COMMENTS.
[03:25:09]
AMEND. AND I THINK WE'RE ALREADY AMENDING IT.SO I THINK I'M GLAD THAT YOU DID THIS PRESENTATION THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL TO JUST BRING EVERYBODY UP TO TRUTH, BECAUSE AS WE SEE, THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION THAT GOES AROUND AND GETS EVERYBODY REALLY ANXIOUS.
BUT THE REALITY IS THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT AND WE HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH TECHNOLOGY CHANGES.
WE'RE JUST KIND OF. USING ASSUMPTIONS BASED ON CAR USE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
RIGHT. AND I BELIEVE THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF DATA POINTS YET THAT ARE UTILIZED.
ABSOLUTELY. AND I'M JUST GOING TO I JUST WANTED TO SAY ONE THING THAT I WAS I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN IT'S VERY HARD WHEN THERE'S EMOTIONS GOING AROUND.
AND I DO LOVE THE FACT THAT WE CAN HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS AND HAVE DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS.
THE GOAL TO CARBON NEUTRALITY THEIR POINTS ARE VALID.
AND SO IT JUST MAKES MY STOMACH HURT WHEN PEOPLE START ATTACKING THEM FOR THEIR ALL, YOU KNOW, OLD WHITE PEOPLE AND THOSE PEOPLE AND THOSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, I JUST HOPE AT ONE POINT, YOU KNOW, WE AS A CITY CAN GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT ATTACKING EACH OTHER BECAUSE WE DON'T FULLY AGREE, BECAUSE I THINK SEVERAL SPEAKERS SAID WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GOALS.
WE MAY WANT TO PUT IT IN DIFFERENT BUCKETS, BUT WE HAVE A VERY AGGRESSIVE CARBON NEUTRALITY GOAL.
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SHINING STARS IN THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE LEADERS IN THAT.
AND WE'RE ALSO AT A HIGHER RISK THAN A LOT OF CITIES IN THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF OUR FIRES AND STUFF.
AND SO THERE'S A SPACE FOR ALL OF US TO HAVE THE SAME GOALS AND THE SAME OUTCOMES.
SO, AND I AND ONE LAST POINT I WANTED TO MAKE WAS MY SISTER WORKS FOR AN INSURANCE COMPANY.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS FIRE AND FLOOD MITIGATION IS IMPORTANT TO ME IS BECAUSE SOME INSURANCES ARE NOT UNDERWRITING UP HERE IN FLAGSTAFF FOR HAZARD INSURANCE.
MY SISTER SAID STATISTICALLY 20 TO 100% INCREASE.
I'VE SPOKE TO PEOPLE IN SUNNYSIDE AND SOUTH SIDE, AND I'M SURE THIS GOES FOR PLAZA VIEJO AS WELL, THAT IN THESE OLDER COMMUNITIES, SURPRISINGLY, THEY DON'T HAVE A MORTGAGE.
IT'S MORE THAN THEIR FIXED INCOME.
SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN SAY, WE'VE GOT TO GET TO 2030 AND BE CARBON NEUTRAL, WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT LEAVING OUT AND NOT RECOGNIZING OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO RIGHT NOW, I'VE SPOKE TO SOME PEOPLE THAT FORECLOSED ON THEIR HOUSE BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THESE THINGS.
AND SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE.
AND I LIKE THAT YOU GAVE US OPTIONS.
AND I THINK IT'S REASONABLE THAT SINCE WE'RE DOING A REVISION NEXT YEAR, THAT YOU KNOW, WE DO COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND WE LOOK AT THAT AND, AND REALLY TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, THIS REQUEST AND CONTINUE SERVING ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, A PORTION WHO KNOWS 50%, 80% OR WHATEVER.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE DOING GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HARRIS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
AND LET'S SEE, WHERE DO WHERE DO I EVEN START? A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
WHO'S ALL INVOLVED? WHO? WHO ARE WE PARTNERING WITH TO GET US? TO 2030.
HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE? NO. WELL, GIVE ME, GIVE ME, GIVE ME THE BIG ONES.
SO IN ADDITION TO OUR INTERNAL PARTNERS.
RIGHT. AND, JENNY, I MAY CALL YOU UP HERE TO TO TAG ON TO THIS.
WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR FELLOW GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.
WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR EQUITY ADVISORY GROUP, OUR YOUTH ADVISORY GROUP, OUR BUSINESS ADVISORY GROUP.
[03:30:01]
WE ARE WORKING WITH FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL.I'M HAPPY TO HAND IT OVER, ESPECIALLY JUST IN TERMS OF OUR EPA GRANT, IF YOU LIKE.
SO AND YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS MORE THAN ONCE.
ARE WE WORKING WITH NAPE TO MOUNTAIN LION? OKAY. ARE WE WORKING WITH OUR HOTELS? WE HAVE, WE KEEP IN MIND THAT WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF VISITORS THAT COME THROUGH FLAGSTAFF EVERY DAY, PROBABLY.
AND SO AND THEY DRIVE ALL OVER TOWN.
THEY DO. SO HAS ANYBODY THOUGHT ABOUT WORKING WITH OUR HOTELS TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THEM ON BOARD? BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE VISITORS COMING THROUGH TOWN, EVERYTHING ELSE IS FOR NOT.
BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOCK THEM OUT.
WE'RE GOING TO LET THEM KEEP COMING BECAUSE OUR LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON IT.
AND THE REASON THAT I SAY THAT, NICOLE, IS THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO PLAY A PART IN THIS.
EVERYBODY'S GOT TO DO SOMETHING.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THOSE BIG PLAYERS ARE NOT PART.
AND ARE NOT A BIG ENOUGH PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I THINK, BECAUSE I'M THINKING VERY SIMPLISTICALLY.
I'M THINKING IF I CAN TAKE A THOUSAND CARS OFF THE STREET AND USE A SHUTTLE TO GO DOWNTOWN, OR USE A SHUTTLE TO GO TO LOWELL, OR USE A SHUTTLE TO GO WHEREVER ELSE YOU KNOW, ARE WE GETTING THE HOTELS TO BUY INTO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO? WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
OKAY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO JUST AND I APOLOGIZE IF THIS COMES OFF AS DEFENSIVE.
SO WE ARE OBVIOUSLY FOCUSING ON THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE EMISSIONS BUCK IN THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE AND MANNER THAT WE CAN.
OUR WORK WITH HOTELS HAS BEEN LIMITED.
ABSOLUTELY. WE'VE PURSUED GRANT APPLICATIONS, PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE WORKED DIRECTLY WITH A HANDFUL OF HOTELS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT.
WHY WOULD WE FOCUS COMMENTS SUCH AS WHY WOULD WE FOCUS MORE ATTENTION ON VISITORS THAN OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS? AND SO WE TAKE ALL OF THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE'RE WORKING ON THINGS.
BUT YOUR POINT IS INCREDIBLY VALID.
THAT HAS TO HAPPEN AT A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL.
AND CAN I JUST TO REMIND US THAT THE AGENDA ITEM IS DISCUSSION OF THE CITIZENS PETITION TO CHANGE THE GOALS IN THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN? SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STICKING TO THE AGENDA SO THAT IF WE HAVE A BROADER DISCUSSION OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE THE AGENDA AHEAD OF TIME SO THEY KNOW IF THEY'RE INTERESTED TO COME AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO DID I GO OFF OF OUR IN YOUR OPINION, DID I GO OFF BASE A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. I WILL KEEP THAT IN MIND.
FOR THE REST. BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IF THAT'S HELPFUL.
NO PROBLEM. SO THEN MY MY LAST COMMENT IS GOING TO BE AND I WON'T ASK ANY MORE QUESTIONS.
WHEN WE GET TO A BROADER DISCUSSION.
AND JUST BECAUSE I'M 69 YEARS OLD DOES NOT MEAN THAT I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WE NEED TO JUST FIGURE THAT OUT.
WOULD HAVING FIRE, FLOOD AND DROUGHT AS A MAIN PRIORITY IN THE CMP? WOULD THAT HELP WITH ANY TYPE OF GRANT MONEY?
[03:35:01]
I KNOW YOU TOUCHED ON GRANTS EARLIER, BUT I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION AND WHAT I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING, IT WOULD NOT INFLUENCE THE REAL FOCUS IS THAT THE CITY HAS COMMITTED TO A CARBON NEUTRALITY GOAL.
THAT IS WHAT IS HELPING US PURSUE GRANT FUNDING AND SUPPORT IS THE COMMITMENT TO CARBON NEUTRALITY.
I WAS JUST THINKING IF A PERSON WAS WALKING DOWN ASPEN AVENUE.
AND JUST HAPPENED TO WALK INTO THIS ROOM TONIGHT.
THEY WOULD THINK, OH MY GOD, THIS IS BAD NEWS.
EVERYBODY'S FIGHTING EVERYBODY.
IF YOU REALLY LISTEN TO ALL OF IT, I CALL IT GOOD NEWS.
BASICALLY, EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM ON BOTH SIDES REALLY WANTS THE SAME THING.
IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT INDIA AND CHINA ARE BIG EMITTERS, POSSIBLY BIGGER THAN THE UNITED STATES AND WHAT OUR MEASLY LITTLE TOWN DOES.
FLAG TOWN? ISN'T GOING TO MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE.
I'D SAY THAT FLAGSTAFF CAN BE AN EXAMPLE.
IT CAN BE AN INSPIRATION FOR OUR WHOLE COUNTRY AND FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.
YOU NEED TO CUT YOUR EMISSIONS.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO JUST SAY, WELL, YOU DIDN'T CUT YOUR EMISSIONS.
BUT IF WE DO CUT OUR EMISSIONS, THEN THAT PRESENTS A BETTER ARGUING POINT AND MORE MOTIVATION FOR THESE OTHER COUNTRIES TO DO THEIR PART. AND AGAIN, KIND OF IN SUMMARY, THAT WE CAN BE AN EXAMPLE.
I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M IN MY EIGHTH YEAR ON CITY COUNCIL, AND I SERVED ON THE WATER COMMISSION FOR FIVE YEARS, AND NOT TO MENTION PLANNING AND ZONING.
SO THE CITY IS TAKING THESE THINGS VERY SERIOUSLY.
WE'RE PUTTING A LOT OF MANPOWER INTO IT.
WE'RE PUTTING A LOT OF MONEY INTO IT.
WE'RE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE COUNTY IN PARTICULAR.
WE'RE WORKING WE'RE GETTING GRANTS AND WE'RE DOING PROJECTS.
PROGRESS ON THE RIO DE FLAG FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT IN THE LAST YEAR.
THEN I SAW IN MY FIRST 6 OR 7 YEARS ON COUNCIL.
SO I GUESS MY MAJOR POINT IS WE ARE WORKING THESE ISSUES NOW.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE IN THIS PLAN OR NOT, THEY ARE IN THE PLAN.
SO WHERE AM I GOING WITH ALL THIS? I WOULD SAY I DON'T SEE ANY REASON.
TO REVISE THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBER I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I UNDERSTAND AND SHARE EVERYONE'S CONCERN ABOUT CATASTROPHIC WILD LAND FIRE AND FLOODING.
THESE ISSUES ARE AS IMPORTANT TO THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF AS IS OUR CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
I MEAN, THEY'RE RIGHT THERE, AND IT'S BEEN VERY ELOQUENTLY STATED.
I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THIS AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH DYLAN SHARED WITH US WHO THEY PARTNER WITH.
BUT THE US FOREST SERVICE, I WAS, I DON'T KNOW, WITHIN THE LAST MONTH IN A MEETING WITH THE FOREST SERVICE AND THE COUNTY AND THE CITY TALKING ABOUT FOREST HEALTH TREATMENTS, WE PARTNER WITH COCONINO COUNTY.
[03:40:07]
DEPARTMENTS, NOW SCHOOL OF FORESTRY.AND I'M SURE THAT I'M LEAVING OUT ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES THAT WE WORK WITH WHEN WE LOBBY EITHER OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES OR OUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES, WE ARE ALWAYS ASKING FOR MONEY FOR FOREST HEALTH TREATMENTS AND FOR FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES.
I THINK THAT, AND THIS WAS ALREADY SAID, THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO ADD ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IN ORDER TO PURSUE AND QUALIFY FOR GRANT FUNDING FOR FOREST HEALTH TREATMENTS AND FLOOD MITIGATION.
AND IF THE EPA IS LISTENING RIGHT NOW, PLEASE GIVE US THAT GRANT.
I SUPPORT THE COLLABORATION AND I CELEBRATE THE COLLABORATION THAT IS ONGOING BETWEEN SUSTAINABILITY AND FLAGSTAFF'S, FOREST HEALTH ADMINISTRATORS AND WILDLAND FIRE FIGHTERS.
IF DURING THE CNP REVISION, THIS COLLABORATION DETERMINES THAT WE NEED ADDITIONAL OR CHANGED PRIORITIES I LOOK FORWARD TO CONSIDERING THEM.
BUT I AGREE WITH WITH THESE OPTIONS THAT I DON'T SEE THE NEED TO REOPEN THE PLAN AND INSERT SOMETHING. I THINK THAT THE NEXT TIME THERE'S A REVISION, IF YOU KNOW, IF FIRE AND SUSTAINABILITY AND ALL THE COMMUNITY INTERESTS DETERMINE THAT WE NEED TO ADD IT, I'M SURE THAT YOU WILL BRING THAT FORWARD TO US.
THANK YOU. NICOLE, I THINK YOU CAN SIT DOWN.
YEAH. I'LL OFFER MY CLOSING REMARKS.
I THINK MY STANCE ON THIS IS FAIRLY WELL KNOWN, AND I DIDN'T PREPARE ANY COMMENTS OR REMARKS AHEAD OF TIME, BUT I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH AND TAKING SOME NOTES AND WRITING SOME THINGS, WRITING SOME THOUGHTS DOWN.
AND I'LL KIND OF GO INTO IT A LITTLE BIT HERE.
I DO THINK THIS IS ABOUT SEMANTICS.
I THINK WE ALL HAVE A LASER FOCUS ON ACHIEVING AN ADEQUATE, A SUFFICIENT AND AN EXEMPLARY LEVEL OF FOREST HEALTH FIRE EFFORT.
TO THE. ALL RIGHT, I'LL JUST HOLD IT.
IN SHORT, OUR FIRE, FLOOD, AND DROUGHT POLICIES EXIST, AND I THINK THEY'RE STRONG.
I THINK THEY CAN ALWAYS BE STRONGER.
AND I THINK WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE THINGS.
I SPOKE PUBLICLY ABOUT THIS PETITION THE FIRST TIME WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON IT.
AND I STRONGLY URGED I STRONGLY URGE THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME NOT TO FORWARD THIS PRESCRIPTIVE PETITION WHEN WE'RE DILIGENTLY INVESTING IN FIRE, FLOOD AND DROUGHT IN NUMEROUS WAYS ALREADY.
ONE THING THAT I DID KNOW WOULD COME OF IT A LOT OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, AND I'M GLAD IT HAS HAPPENED.
THIS COMMUNITY HEAVILY SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF THOSE EFFORTS.
THEY WERE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN AN OPEN AND PUBLIC PROCESS.
WARM BODIES STOPPED COMING TO COUNCIL MEETINGS.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS CHANGED OVER AT LEAST TWICE.
SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR COUNCIL WAS ABLE, WAS ABLE TO SEE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS REALLY DEMONSTRATED ITS PASSION ON THIS TOPIC.
SO I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE A LITTLE BIT HERE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S WORTH DOING.
WE'VE INVESTED SO MUCH TIME IN THIS CONVERSATION.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REINFORCE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THE CNP ELEVATES MITIGATION, WHICH IS WHY IT IS THE MOST DETAILED ELEMENT OF THE PLAN.
THE CNP DEALS WITH RESILIENCE AND ADAPTATION DIFFERENTLY.
IT BUILDS ON THE WORK OF SEVERAL CITY DIVISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING RESILIENCE AND ADAPTATION FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS, AND OUR MAYOR JUST LISTED OFF A BUNCH OF AGENCIES THAT ARE COORDINATING WITH SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE ON THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
I'M GOING I'M GOING TO JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH THE LIST.
[03:45:06]
THE PLANS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AS A CITY THAT ARE WORKING ON FIRE, FLOOD AND DROUGHT ARE THE FOREST WATERSHED PROTECTION PROJECT, THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, THE CITYWIDE FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLAN, THE HAZARDOUS FUELS MITIGATION GUIDELINES, THE WATER SERVICES INTEGRATED MASTER PLAN, WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIC PLAN, THE STORMWATER STRATEGIC PLAN OF 2028, THE AIRPORT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN, THE WASTEWATER EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN, THE RIO DE FLAG IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, ALL HAZARDS EMERGENCY OPERATION PLAN, AND THE REGIONAL PLAN.IT'S DESIGNED TO COMPLEMENT THE WORK THAT THE TECHNICAL TECHNICAL EXPERTS ARE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING.
AND YOU KNOW THAT ANY GROUP WANTS TO REDIRECT MITIGATION EFFORTS.
MEANING BUT MISPLACED THE ARGUMENT THAT ADDING FIRE, FLOOD AND DROUGHT BACK INTO THE COP CAP IN ORDER TO BRING BALANCE TO OUR EFFORTS IS FRUSTRATING FOR ME TO HEAR, TO SAY THE LEAST.
THE CNRP'S EXISTENCE IS THE BALANCE BRINGER TO THE EQUATION.
WE SHOULDN'T WATER DOWN OUR CITY'S ONLY MITIGATION STRATEGY BY INSERTING OBJECTIVES THERE THAT ARE ALREADY ROBUSTLY BEING ADDRESSED BY 15 OTHER LOCAL PLANS AND INITIATIVES. YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF ANALOGIES HERE I WAS I WAS SCRAMBLING TO TRY TO FIGURE ONE OF THESE OUT THE NIGHT WE FIRST HAD THIS CONVERSATION, AND I COULDN'T COME UP WITH ANY.
AND THESE WERE IMPERFECT ANALOGIES, AS ALL ANALOGIES ARE.
BUT PERHAPS AT LEAST IT CAN ILLUSTRATE TO YOU WHY I'M WHY I'M FRUSTRATED AND WHY I SEE THIS CONVERSATION AS, AS AS TROUBLING.
SO HERE'S A HERE'S A COUPLE IDEAS I FEEL LIKE ASKING THE CNRP TO DO.
FIRE, FLOOD, AND DROUGHT IS LIKE ASKING A SUSTAINABLE GARDEN PROGRAM TO DO LESS GARDENING WORKSHOPS SO THAT IT CAN FOCUS MORE ON SELLING PRODUCE ON THE SIDEWALK NEXT TO THE GROCERY STORE.
ON THE SIDEWALK NEXT TO THE LIBRARY INSTEAD.
I DON'T NEED TO BEAT THIS ANY FURTHER INTO THE GROUND, BUT THE POINT IS, WE'RE TAKING AWAY OUR ONLY MITIGATION STRATEGY AND HANDING IT OVER TO AN INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX THAT ALREADY EXISTS TO ADDRESS ADAPTATION.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY JUST SAID.
I'M PROUD OF THE WAYS WE ARE STICKING OUR NECK OUT AS A COMMUNITY.
OUR CNP EFFORTS ARE POINTING THE WAY FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW.
WE'RE LEADERS, AND SO LET'S LEAD AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO FOLLOW.
I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M USUALLY ALL FOR MEETING IN THE MIDDLE.
IT'S ACTUALLY A CORE VALUE OF MINE, SOMETHING I'M PROUD TO ENGAGE IN.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE OBLIGATED TO NEGOTIATE AWAY SOME OF THE CNPS FOCUS TO A GROUP THAT HAS ARTICULATED THEIR INTENTION TO WEAKEN THE CNP AND TO DO AWAY WITH WHAT THEY CALL AN INSIGNIFICANT MITIGATION EFFORT.
I MEAN, THIS IS ALL IT'S AWKWARD TO BRING THIS UP, BUT IT'S ALL SAID VERY CLEARLY ON THEIR WEBSITE.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FOLLOW ME THERE.
SO YOU KNOW WHAT, I I'M NOT READING OFF OF SOMETHING.
IF YOU GOOGLE FLAGSTAFF FIRST AND YOU CLICK ON THEIR FIRST LINK YOU WILL SEE STATEMENTS LIKE EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND ON THE CNP IS WASTED ON MAKING INFINITESIMAL CHANGES.
OUR GOAL IS TO CHANGE THE CURRENT DANGEROUS PATH AWAY FROM CARBON NEUTRALITY.
THESE ARE STATEMENTS THAT TODAY ARE ON THEIR WEBSITE.
AFTER ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD.
YOU KNOW, WHAT I REALLY WANT TO SAY ON THIS IS IF YOU WOULD WHITTLE IT DOWN, WHAT THIS GROUP IS UNAMBIGUOUSLY LOOKING TO DO IS REDIRECT MITIGATION EFFORTS TOWARDS ADAPTATION.
AND BOTTOM LINE, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT APPROACH OR STRATEGY.
ONE OTHER THOUGHT THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD EXPRESSED YET THAT I JUST THOUGHT I'D ADD TO THE EQUATION.
I CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN OR EFFORT AMONG COMPANIES OR GOVERNMENTS OR MUNICIPALITIES THAT INCLUDE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AS AN EQUAL CO OBJECTIVE.
MICROSOFT IS NOT COMMITTING DOLLARS TO THIN FORESTS AROUND WASHINGTON.
AND IF THAT'S TOO FAR AFIELD, LET'S DISCUSS A APS'S CARBON REDUCTION GOALS.
[03:50:03]
THEIR PLAN FOCUSES ON THEIR OWN INTERNAL EFFORTS TO REDUCE AND OFFSET EMISSIONS, AND TO CHANGE BEHAVIORS WITHIN THE COMPANY.THEIR FOREST HEALTH EFFORTS FALL UNDER ANOTHER BANNER ENTIRELY.
AT THE VERY LEAST, THESE CONVERSATIONS SHOULD OCCUR DURING THE NORMAL REVISION PROCESS IN 2025.
THAT'S THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, AND THAT'S WHAT I SUPPORT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALREADY HAVING CHALLENGES WITH PRESCRIPTIVE CITIZEN PETITIONS.
AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO ADD THAT FORWARDING THIS PETITION OFFERS A PRECEDENT FOR OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS TO TRY AND TINKER WITH CITY OPERATIONS AND PLANS OUT OF TURN.
SO I'M DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF OPTION TWO.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD FORWARD THIS PETITION ANY FURTHER.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
THANK YOU AND I WILL TRY AND KEEP THIS SHORT.
FIRST OFF, THANK YOU TO NICOLE AND THE TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT WAS AN AMAZING PRESENTATION AND I YOU REALLY HELPED ME TONIGHT THROUGH IT.
AND FOR ME, THIS PETITION SPOKE DIRECTLY TO A PLAN WITHIN OUR CITY.
WHEN WE HEARD IT WITH COUNCIL, WE ASKED ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS, WHICH I HIGHLY REGARD IF THERE SHOULD BE A CONVERSATION AROUND THIS PETITION, AND HE SAID YES, WE SHOULD HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
SO I TOOK THAT AND I SAID, OKAY, LET'S HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS, I'VE BEEN QUESTIONED ON WHY I AM MEETING WITH MR. PEARSON AND MEMBERS OF OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE WANTING THE GOALS OF THIS PETITION TO BE ADDED TO THE CAP.
AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT MY JOB IS TO TALK TO ALL SIDES OF THE ISSUE AND TO DO MY BEST TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE AND VARIOUS VIEWPOINTS, AND THAT INCLUDES GETTING OUT OF MY OWN COMFORT ZONE AND MEETING WITH GROUPS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAFF WHO REPRESENT ALL SIDES.
I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING ASKED AND PRESENTED.
I THINK THOUGHTS AND THE CONVERSATION WAS IMPORTANT TONIGHT.
AND AS FOR THE NUTS AND BOLTS, I WANT TO THANK MR. PEARSON FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND MEETING WITH ME.
NICOLE AND JENNY TOOK A LOT OF TIME ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.
AND IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT WE HAVE A PASSIONATE COMMUNITY AND I WOULDN'T WANT IT ANY OTHER WAY.
I DO BELIEVE THAT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PLENTY OF PLANS THAT ADDRESS FIRE, FLOOD AND DROUGHT.
FIRE, FLOODING AND DROUGHT ARE IN THE CNP AND THERE ARE 15 PLANS THAT FOCUS ON THOSE THREE.
THOSE THREE ITEMS. SO AT THIS POINT.
THANK YOU. MAYOR. I TOO SUPPORT OPTION THREE.
WE'RE UNDER BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THIS YEAR.
GOVERNMENT WORK IS ALWAYS SLOW ANYWAY.
AND SO IT DOESN'T SEEM REALISTIC TO WANT TO MAKE SOME MAJOR CHANGES TO THAT.
BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT AND RECOGNIZE THAT THIS PETITION THAT WAS TURNED IN HAD OVER 400 SIGNATURES, AND THE COMMENTS TO THE PETITIONER TO ME WAS, WELL, WE JUST STOPPED THERE BECAUSE WE HAD ENOUGH.
BUT I THINK A LOT MORE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE THAT.
AND THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS HERE ON THE DAIS WHERE FLAGSTAFF FIRST ARE HAVE ALTERNATIVE MOTIVES TO WEAKEN THE PLAN.
OR HAVE OTHER MOTIVES TO I DON'T KNOW WHAT.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT HAVE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW AND DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW ON THE IMPACTS OF CERTAIN THINGS, AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE HEARD.
[03:55:03]
AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT.I THINK THAT WAS KIND OF MY REQUEST A LONG TIME AGO, IS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PUT IT ON THE BALLOT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 1000 OR 2, VOTED FOR IT. BUT SO THAT'S ALWAYS AN OPTION.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE PIPELINE, THE TUNNEL, THE HAYWIRE, THE MUSEUM FIRE, THEY ALL HAPPENED WITH ALL THESE OTHER PLANS ALREADY IN PLACE.
WELL, HE SAID THAT WITH ALL THE LIST OF EVERYBODY JUST CITED, ALL THESE OTHER PLANS GOING ON, BUT FOR SOME REASON HE FELT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ALSO ADD IT TO THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, WHICH I THINK SUPPORTS WHAT THIS PETITION SPEAKS ABOUT.
IT'S LIKE, YES, WE HAVE ALL THESE PLANS, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE.
BECAUSE THAT IS OUR IMMEDIATE THREAT.
AND SO I RESPECT THAT HAVING IT IN A DISCUSSION WITH A COMMUNITY OUTREACH DURING OUR NEXT SCHEDULED REVISION NEXT YEAR, IF IT DOESN'T GET THE SUPPORT, IT DOESN'T GET THE SUPPORT AND IT'S NOT IN.
BUT IF IT GETS THE SUPPORT, WHICH IT MIGHT VERY WELL GET THE SUPPORT, SINCE I USUALLY SEE PETITIONS THAT HAVE 25 OR 50 OR 100. I HADN'T SEEN ONE THAT I REMEMBER THAT HAD 400.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE 52,000 A YEAR BUDGET, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S NOT EVEN ONE PERSON'S SALARY.
DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK ON THAT? BECAUSE THAT WAS KIND OF CONFUSING TO ME.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THE, THE THAT'S JUST OUR ONGOING BASE BUDGET.
RIGHT. SO EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW IS GRANT CATEGORY FOR SALARY STAFFING AND STUFF.
AND THEN THERE ARE ALSO DIFFERENT NOT JUST GRANT MONEY AND STUFF, BUT THE CITY'S ALSO, YOU KNOW.
IN ACTUALITY, IT'S MULTIPLE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE IMPLEMENT TO GET US TO OUR GOAL.
AND WE'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB.
I MEAN, WE'RE DOING LEAPS AND BOUNDS OVER MOST PEOPLE TO GET TO THAT.
AND SO WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT SUFFERING TO MOVE TOWARDS OUR GOAL, IN MY OPINION.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT OPTION THREE.
LET THE CITIZENS INPUT PREVAIL, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE.
THE OUTCOME. I DON'T SUPPORT DOING IT MIDSTREAM.
IT IS A LOT OF WORK. WE DON'T HAVE 80,000 TO SPEND.
AND THE TIMING, WE'RE ALREADY HALFWAY INTO 2024.
IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO LET IT BRING A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION IN THE REVISION OF NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WILL BE VERY BRIEF.
I WANT TO CIRCLE BACK TO THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THIS.
ON THE IMPORTANCE AND THE NEED TO BE MINDFUL AND CAREFUL WITH LANGUAGE.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALSO NOTED IN SOME OF THE EMAILS ON, ON THIS PETITION WAS THE CALL FOR THE ELIMINATION OF THE SUSTAINABILITY DIVISION. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS THE INTENTION OF THE PETITION.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND VERY MINDFUL OF THE DIRECTIONS THAT SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS CAN GO WHEN THERE IS A LACK OF AWARENESS, WHEN THERE'S A LACK OF ATTENTION TO SOME OF THOSE CAREFUL POINTS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
AND WHEN WE ALLOW A SIMPLE REQUEST OR AN ASK LIKE THIS TO SNOWBALL INTO THAT SORT OF A LEVEL.
I, I DO AGREE THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN THE LANGUAGE THAT SURROUNDS THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO I I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT AS WE CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION, WE WILL SEE THAT CAUTION IN
[04:00:01]
LANGUAGE AND AND IN HOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE TOPICS.I WANT TO EXPRESS, AGAIN, MY FERVENT SUPPORT OF THE CMP AND OF THE SUSTAINABILITY TEAM AND ALL THE TEAMS THAT ARE WORKING ON AND THROUGH THE ISSUES THAT ARE FACING OUR COMMUNITY ON THIS TOPIC AND THE OTHERS THAT ARE TOUCHING IT, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT MINDFULNESS THAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER IN THESE CONVERSATIONS AND CONTINUE TO CARRY THAT FORWARD AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS AND OTHER CONVERSATIONS.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE FOLKS THAT SPOKE INTO THIS.
IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE THE DIRECTION FOR STAFF.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AS WELL.
TEN INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, TWO FROM MAYOR, COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER.
[10. Informational Items To/From Mayor, Council, and City Manager; future agenda item requests]
LET'S START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HOUSE.THANK YOU. FEEL BETTER? COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
VICE MAYOR, JUST ONE THING REAL QUICK.
I WOULD LIKE TO AGENDIZE OR OTHERWISE.
MAYBE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PUT UP FOR DISCUSSION THE POSSIBILITY OF USING SOME OF OUR A MODEST AMOUNT OF OUR COUNCIL REMAINING COUNCIL FUNDS TO SUPPORT AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY BANDS.
DID YOU SAY FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY BAND.
ANYWAY, TODAY I WENT TO THE UNVEILING OF COCONINO COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S NEW MASCOT, COCO THE COMET.
AND WE HAVE PLANS TO BRING COCO TO YOU, SO BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
YEAH, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE THIS EVENING.
NOTHING FROM THE CITY MANAGER.
SO WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.